Church in the Peak Podcast

4th July 2010 - Susie Poole - "White Horse" (Prophetic Song)

Listen to the prophetic song Susie was given as a gift from God as a blessing to the church.

Listen now! (0:05min / 2MB)

4th July 2010 - Peter Williams - If God wants to heal everyone, why isn’t everyone healed?

Continuing on from his preach on 30th May 2010, Peter considered why – if God wants to heal everyone – not everyone is healed. Peter also spoke about our response to this.

What does the bible say about suffering?

2Cor4:16
Phil 2:27
1Tim 5:23
2Tim 4:20
1Pet 1:6-7
1Pet 4:19
James 1:2-4
2Cor 12:7-10
Habakkuk
Job
Ps 119:67 + 71

What does the bible say about circumstances?

Phil 4:11-13
1Thes 5:18
Eph 6:16
Rom 8:18-39

These things don’t separate us from the love of God, and we must not let them come between us and God. Circumstances are so trivial in respect of God’s love.

God does not cause suffering, He allows it.

We should not accuse God. We can question God (Job and Habakkuk). God is all good and cannot commit evil. The Devil is the accuser.

Why is God not healing me? Is this our right to ask? Is it a question we should ask?

It is our inheritance in Christ. We should reach out and take it.

Traps

Jam 5:15 Trap of their faith/my faith is not enough to see healing occur. The health / wealth trap.

Heb 9:27 Do those with most faith live longest?

God can bring about sanctification, and growth of faith through illness and healing.

God needs to get the glory in both situations. We should be joyous in both.

How should we be?

Salvation is assured, sin is done with, the restoration of the earth will be complete at the 2nd coming….

If you power is made perfect in weakness, should we be content to be weak? No, we yearn for heavenly wholeness, but understand that God’s timing is perfect.

Tension between the now and the not yet – cf James 1 and 1Pet 1

Does it glorify God when we whinge about our circumstances? No. We need to glorify God.

So should we consent, roll over to illness? No. we need to follow Christ’s example. Compassion, Love, intercession.

The purpose of man is to Glorify God.

Questions:

What do you whinge about most?

How can we glorify God in our circumstance?

Are you an unhappy or a happy wreck? If you are unhappy with your situation/circumstance what do we need to pray for?

Pray for each other in your different circumstances.

Listen now! (0:37min / 10MB)

27th June 2010 - Dave Newman - Finishing Strong (Part 1)

[This sermon is part 1 of Dave’s talk on finishing strong. For part 2, please see 5th September 2010.]

Dave spoke about the importance of finishing strong.

At the start of his preach, Dave played a clip from Chariots of Fire and referred to the two prophecies given on 17th February 2010. (See links below). He then spoke about Billy Graham and his contemporaries. The audio starts when Dave is talking about Billy Graham.

In the Christian Life it’s not how you start that matters, it’s how you finish.

“Only one life, ‘twill soon be passed only what’s done for God will last”

Ruth a picture of Grace at a time when “Men did that which was right in their own eyes” (or as they saw fit) ~ just like today’s society, civil strife, national upheaval, international concerns.

The Book of Grace – 3 keys –Loyalty (1vv14-16), Kindness (“vv10-12), Faithfulness (4v11)
Ruth finished strong

What do you do when life caves in? Do you run? Do you seek self interest first? Do you make acts of love or kindness last in your list of priorities?

Bethlehem = the place of bread
see 1v1 left the place of bread
1 v6 returned to the place of bread
Ruth – a continual play on words: famine, empty, full, harvest. A picture that life can be difficult even if you follow God

Consecration or giving your life to Christ could cost you more than you may be willing to give e.g Taliban Doctor, North Korean parents

1st Principle : 1v16,2v2 – Ruth was willing to follow the precepts laid out by God

1v16 a significant verse in affirming love for God and God’s people. Do we belong
2v2 see Leviticus 19 how Ruth obeyed a law she did not know but it was God’s plan she was following
Note: Orpah returned, when its tough some turn back but Ruth chose the place of bread. People make judgements about people without knowing their past or more importantly their future. A Moabite, she didn’t have the same God, let alone belief. Sometimes we must return to first principles.

2nd Principle : 2vv15,16 God’s provision is always over and above what we deserve.

See 2v12 cf Ps.36 v7 “How priceless is your unfailing love. Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings” see Isa. 40 vv29ff…”mount up with wings as eagles, run and not be weary, walk and not faint”

3rd Principle : 3v4,5 Obedience is the key to finding favour with God.

Ruth could have taken the soft option but all the way through the book she demonstrates obedience. She put God first in her life even when her future was totally uncertain. Look what happened she found her kinsman redeemer through obedience to what was told her (see Lev.25vv45-47 cf Ruth 4v6). Jesus has become our kinsman redeemer

In conclusion

The book of Ruth demonstrates that: He is sovereign, He is the Lord of the Harvest and He is our Kinsman redeemer

Don’t place yourself in a place of famine, the grass isn’t always greener. God wants you and I to finish strong. Paul said: Forgetting what is behind and straining to what is ahead. I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called ME heavenwards in Christ Jesus

God wants you and I to finish strong just like Ruth. I challenge you to quote George Verwer: We were not born to live at minimum cost

Questions:

1. Pick a single word to describe your Christisan experience to this point (e.g. steady, growing, uneven, rocky, disappointing, wonderful etc). Why did you pick this particular word?

2. What does it mean to you to “finish strong”, describe someone you know who finished strong in their Christian life. What did they do to cause you to think this way about them?

3. See Heb. 12 vv1-3 ~ What are we instructed to do in verse 1, why is the word “perseverance” so crucial, what are we asked to do in verse 2, what example is given and how does it help us? What about verse 3 what and why are we instructed thus?

4.How is Colossians 1vv21 – 23 an encouragement to finish strong, why was it so important for Paul?

Listen now! (0:30min / 8MB)

20th June 2010 - Dave Harper - The Presence Of God

Dave spoke on the importance of the presence of God.

Dave reminded us that the Bible is the story of God’s love for relationship with man, starting with creation, through the fall and then through Jesus. God’s purpose in bringing the Israelites out of Egypt was for them to worship him on Mount Sinai.

In Exodus 20:18-20, the people were afraid of God because he was so powerful. We need to get past this fear if we are to become intimate with God. Moses commands the Israelites not to avoid God because they are afraid of him, but to marvel and worship God.

It is folly for us to blame God for our circumstances. God is always for our good. The more closely we know God, the less we will blame him for things that happen. When God revealed his glory to Moses, it was his goodness that he paraded. This revelation should draw us to God, not frighten us away from him. God’s heart is to bless us and set us free from fear.

If God’s presence is not with us, it’s not worth going on the journey. In Exodus 23:25-26 we are told to worship the Lord and he will bless us. Worship is more than “singing songs”, it is offering our hearts to God. We need to yield and submit to God. This requires faith, but it’s worth it!

Listen now! (0:37min / 11MB)

13th June 2010 - Phil Hardy - Faith And Promises

We are all on a journey with God. But journeys with God don’t always go the way we expect they will. There may be bumpy parts to the journey or unexpected turns along the way. But, though all this, we need to take part in the journey – we are not to be passive. On our journeys we will face personal doubts etc. We need faith to step out on this journey because we have nothing and God provides everything. Faith doesn’t grow unless it’s challenged.

Hebrews 6:13-20 – Although the word “faith” is not mentioned in this passage, the whole passage is about faith. Abraham had to be a man of faith. Even though Abraham’s actions may at times have wavered, his faith never failed. Us “helping out” God doesn’t work. We can’t take shortcuts with God, and if we try to it will take far longer than if we’d just done what God said in the first place. Without faith, we can’t please God. The point of our salvation is to grow in faith. John Wimber said that “faith is spelt r.i.s.k.” Yes, faith can be risky, but if we step out in what God’s telling us to do, it will work out the way God intended it to.

Faith requires us to persevere and be patient. We must persevere and not give up at the first hurdle. We must not be quitters and we must keep on pressing into what God has for us. God loves to feed those who are hungry (Matthew 5:6) and so we need to be hungry for God. In the passage from Hebrews, God promises to fulfil the promise and swears by himself as there is none greater to swear by. If we seek righteousness, we will be filled. We need to live fully for Christ – as Paul said “for me to live is Christ”.

Faith has to keep on growing. You can never have enough faith. If we’ve settled for where we are, we won’t carry on growing and we will end up with less that what God wants for us. We must not settle until we reach heaven.

Patience is a key to growing in faith. Generally, life nowadays is getting faster and faster – faster internet, faster cars, faster credit. People don’t know how to wait for things. God isn’t like us in this respect. Patience is a character of God and a fruit of the Spirit. God will never keep us waiting and then let us down. Because God has overcome, we can be overcomers. God restores our soul and makes us new – we are victors in Christ. But God will do it his way, not necessarily the way we’d do it.

God requires that our faith is unfailing and enduring. Faith that endures won’t crumble under testing. If God says one thing and everything natural is saying the opposite (and possibly even seems to be winning), that it when God can break in when we step out in faith.

Unfailing and enduring faith doesn’t blame God and ask “Why?” all the time. It says “I will trust” and presses in to what God has for us. Unfailing and enduring faith doesn’t try to resolve the issues by itself but trusts God to provide the answers. God is always about our good and about bringing us into a deeper knowledge of him. There is a danger that past disillusionment, especially with churches, can cloud our thinking. We must trust God. He doesn’t act like men and he can’t lie.

In the book “Incomparable”, Andrew Wilson explains that God is unchangeable. This is good news. If God did change, we’d be in serious trouble. For example, if he changed for the worse, watch out. And if he changed for the better, then he was less than perfect to start with. Every good and perfect gift comes from God. God turns things meant for evil into good. We can trust God to do this.

If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and make us righteous. This righteousness includes both spiritual and physical elements. There is no sickness in heaven, so why should we accept it here on earth? We must carry on praying for sicknesses to go.

Colossians 1:15-19 – God holds all things together
Hebrews 1:1-3 – God sustains all things.
Jesus went and did good things everywhere he went all the time.

We have a God that we can put our faith in. We can live in joy and peace whatever situation we are in.

Questions

God is a God of unchangeable Character. The character of God is holy, and he does not lie. He is Unchangeable and Infallible.

God is looking for faith that perseveres and is patience, that is unfailing and enduring. Faith that recognises that he is the same yesterday, today and forever and makes promises to men and fulfils them, that he is full of Love, Grace and compassion and that he his Good

· What does it mean to your faith that God is unchangeable?

· Look back on your journey of faith. How have you been growing in faith, being enlightened by Him, and becoming more experienced in matters of faith and responding to him in acts of faith?

· How can you be better at developing your faith so you can endure?

Listen now! (0:51min / 13MB)

6th June 2010 - Neal Garratt - Jehovah Jirah: The Lord Will Provide

Neal continued looking at Abraham’s story, in particular the (potential) sacrifice of Isaac. Neal also spoke on the importance of hearing God.

This follows on from Neal’s last preach (18th April 2010) about God’s promises to Abraham relating to Isaac. When Isaac is older, God tells Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham is commended as a man of faith. In verse 3, we are told that Abraham got up early to carry out God’s instructions. It’s almost as if he’s looking forward to the doing it. This contrasts with our approach when God asks us to do anything. Our response, even to small things, is usually 1) Did I hear that correctly and 2) Why?

God isn’t looking for the physical sacrifice of Isaac but is testing Abraham to see whether he trusts him with his whole heart. Even when things get tough, is Abraham going to stick with God? Are we? We shouldn’t really ask God “Why?” as, if he was to tell us, we probable wouldn’t understand the reasons anyway. We need to have faith and trust God.

Abraham and Isaac travelled for three days to get to the place of sacrifice. That’s a long time to be thinking about things! On route, Isaac asks Abraham where the sacrifice is. This must have been the question that Abraham was dreading. Abraham’s answer, that God will provide, is prophetic. It applies both in relation to God providing the ram in place of Isaac and in sending Jesus in our place.

Having built the alter, Abraham is about to sacrifice Isaac when he hears God (though an angel) telling him to stop. How important it is to listen out for God! We need to make sure that we can hear God’s voice all the time so that we don’t accidentally miss things. We can often be very good at hearing from God in relation to small things, but totally miss what he has to say on big things. The key to hearing God’s voice is intimacy: “Abraham knew God.” In the early stages of a relationship, you often can’t tell what the other person is thinking, but as you get to know them better, you can. The more time you spend with each other and the more intimate you are, the easier this becomes. It is the same with God. The more time we spend with him, the more clearly we can hear what he has to say.

Some practical steps we can take to spend more time with God are:
1) Giving time to God;
2) Reading the word;
3) Listening for the answer and
4) Increasing intimacy in our relationship with God. God’s voice is often like a still small voice so we need to be listening out for it. God doesn’t always speak in audible way, but often speaks to our spirit, causing us to feel uncomfortable etc in certain situations.

Abraham declares that God will provide – Jehovah Jirah. This is an aspect of God’s character. Other aspects of his character are revealed through scriptures, i.e. Jehovah Rapha – God is our healer, etc.

In this passage, God provides an alternative sacrifice in place of Isaac, but there is a bigger picture. God provides Jesus, the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Abraham’s story is a foretaste of what Jesus has done for us:

• Isaiah 53:4-7 – Jesus took our place, God has provided the answer
• John 3:16-17 – God loved, God sent.
• 1 Peter 1:18 – We are redeemed by the precious blood of the unblemished lamb

God is a provider God. It’s an innate part of his character. How does God provide for us?
He provides a way where there is none;
Nothing is too difficult for God;
He even heals bits of us that we didn’t know were broken;
Isaiah 61 – God provides for the captives;
Ephesians 4:1-4 – we were dead but God… God provides life;
God always listens and always provides a way for us to come to him;
God is the lifter of our heads and hearts;
He is our righteousness;
He is our shepherd;
He is our creator.

Questions:

1. What was God trying to achieve by making Abraham go through this trial and did he succeed?

2. We looked at how Abraham clearly heard God`s voice and obeyed him – Sometimes it is hard for us to hear God`s voice – we looked at four ways to help – these were 1. Giving time to God. 2. Reading the word. 3. Listening for the answer. 4. Increased intimacy in our relationship with God. How important are these and can you think of other ways to help?

3. God reveals himself as Jehovah Jireh – “The Lord will provide” – We know he provided the Ram for Abraham to sacrifice and the Lamb of God (Jesus) to take away our sin – What parallels can you see in the story comparing the two and in what other ways can we know God as our provider?

Listen now! (0:33min / 9MB)

30th May 2010 - Peter Williams - God wants to heal everyone

[Unfortunately no recording was made this morning. Please accept our apologies.]

Peter spoke on God’s desire to heal everybody.

Matt 18:18-20 “Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

Does it glorify God?
• To heal/not heal
• To give/not give

Stories – Depression vs Tim’s shoulder
• Was it Tim’s faith that was a problem?
o Was it God’s will to heal Tim? Yes
o Was it Tim’s faith? No, because he was healed a week later.
o Tim persisted to press into God
o No. It was where I was at….
• Prayer that does not move me does not move God
o Just before I had prayed for Tim I was in tears praying for someone else. I was touching heaven

Mustard seed of faith
• Matt 17:20 “For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
• Tiniest seed into a tree – Bonsai Christian?
o Faith too, small but perfectly formed
o Clipped by

 Doubt  Disappointment  Experience  The Devil’s whisperings

Renewal of the mind
• Rom 12v2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
• Is there poverty or sickness or sin in heaven. No!
• MLJ “shame on your puny prayers!”
o “ If you cannot pray for an hour, why cannot you?”
God always fulfils His promises.
• Gal 4:27 – New Jerusalem time now.
• Jesus died and took our place
• We got Jesus inheritance. We are in the heavenlies
• We got what Christ deserved, because He took what we deserved

God wants to heal everyone.
• When Jesus prayed 100% were healed. Jesus was 100% man
• Jesus only did what he saw his father doing.
• It is Gods will
o To heal the sick
o To provide for our needs
• He sent us out to heal the sick
• Matt 19:26 With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible
• Same with Mary when visited by the angel. Luke 1:37
o Rhema, the freshly spoken word of God
o V35 The Holy Spirit will come upon you and overshadow you

If when we pray 100% were healed….
• Transformed people will transform cities
• Disneyland Revival in the food hall
• BJ – God is changing the focus from somebody to His body

Intercession is the kind of prayer that Jesus does 24/7
• We want to be like Jesus? We are never more like Jesus than when we are seeking the Fathers heart.
o Matt 19:26 With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible
o This kind comes out only by prayer and fasting…..
• Parable of the persistent friend at midnight
• This parable follows on from the Lords prayer
o Your kingdom come, and your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.
• Jacob – I will not let you go until you bless me……

When we don’t see healing it should not drive us away, but to the secret place to ask God/seek God on the matter.
• MLJ Real prayer is taking hold of God and not letting go.
• Do we wrestle with God?
• Why should God answer our prayers? Nil on our part…. The fact that He does is grace.
• Why is my prayer life rubbish? Cos I don’t pray!
• Jesus – when you pray. Pray like this…..
• Heaven meets earth…..

BJ – The potential of the moment is defined by the need, not your resource.
• We often think the opposite because we are earthly.
• God is hiding things for us, not from us
• Joy in the discovery

Share testimony from the conference.
• We prayed……
• Nothing is impossible for God.

23rd May 2010 - Ian Clague - Unity (part 2)

Ian continued speaking on the theme of Unity (which he had also been speaking about on 11th April 2010.

Ian started with Zechariah 4:6 “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.” Ian explained that, for the Israelites, rebuilding the temple was an impossible task – similar to us trying to flatten Mount Everest by ourselves with spades. In this verse, God is reminding the Israelites that by his Spirit, nothing is impossible.

Eph 2 v 11 onwards
• you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.
• and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,
• His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace,
• Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household,

He we saw the work of Jesus on the cross brings unity again to rich and poor, language, colour, age, – whatever satan would have used to bring enmity. The unity of the spirit overcomes this.

The Tower of Babel Gen 11
God proclaimation of unity aside from and its power. – Independence / self sufficiency apart from God – they had the social unity and technological ability. BUT god had said spread out over the earth and this would likely have kept them in one place. So god confuses, brings language and disperses

Main text Ephesians 4:1-6

what this unity is not – Ecumenicalism – A work of man. It is not a thing that can be orchestrated/ or created by the effort/planning or structures of man. – Its not a common attitude, approach or set of rules that if we sign up to it means we are a member of the body – Doesn’t mean we have to think same things and act the same way – the outworking of our different character and gifts are different, reflecting the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts – Unity does not require you to be a doormat where you simply say yes to everything everyone else says.

What is it? A free gift of God, spoken of by Jesus and outworked by the Spirit

Nothing you or I can do can bring about unity it a property of the church received solely a gift of the Holy Spirit who then works out its fruit amongst us. However at the core of this passage is a plea from Paul – to be Eager to maintain the unity of the spirit. Reminder:- Eager – (meaning to be diligent, labour, make an effort) aintain – (tay-reh-o)– to guard from loss or injury By Keeping your eyes on and holding fast to the Unity we have received. So – There is a unity of the spirit, it can be lost, or injured and we are to watch, guard and labour diligently with all effort to hold onto this oneness that is ours in the Holy Spirit. Now we have considered what the unity of the spirit is – and we have to be eager to maintain it –

What can undermine unity
• Pride – I want to be first – though, place, position
• Provoking one another
• Self centeredness
• A judgemental attitude
• The tongue – gossiping, lying, slander, grumbling
• Allowing our lives to drift from the plumbline of Gods word
• Not fellowshipping with the Holy spirit, so we are not so able to hear his still small voice – unity comes from the vertical not the horizontal (marriage model)

Finally – Why is unity important
• A witness John 17v 23 May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them
• Necessary for god’s purposes – the Go word from jesus was to the body together not to one individual
• Honours God, if that’s what my dad’s like I want to be the same – Trinity
• Ps 133 v 1 How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!
• Disharmony is the enemy of the church – history
• We sense of a fresh move of God coming in our nation. A crucial time to protect the unity of the spirit. The things that undermine the Unity tend to come to the fore when the spirit starts o re-shape the church. It moves us out of our comfort zone. Hence the need to get caught up in the vision for ourselves. Otherwise it can feel like something that is being done to us.

Eagerly maintaining unity – how can we do this –
Below (and attached – see link at bottom for Word version) is a list of faith statements that we might want to allow the holy spirit to provoke us in on a regular basis. So that as we move forward in the plans he has for us we walk in agreement and unity with one another.

Questions
• Ask people how the recent prophetic stream we have received as a church has provoked them
• How can we ‘expose’ the unity we have received as a free gift from the Holy spirit so that as Jesus prayed in John 17 ‘May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me’
• How can we be Eager to maintain the unity in a way that is not legalistic, but is rooted in faith and grace

Practical Scriptures about how to achieve unity (also, see link at bottom for Word version):

• I will love my brothers and sisters in Christ (John 13: 34-35)
• I will actively seek to encourage those around me in the body (1 Thes 4:18)
• I will spur people on towards love and good deeds (Heb 10:24)
• We have a heart to build one another up (1 Thes 5:11)
• We will edify one another (instruct so as to encourage intellectual, moral, or spiritual improvement) (Romans 14:19)
• I will admonish my brother in love and gentleness (Col 3:16)
• I will serve the body (Gal 5:13)
• We will bear with one another (Col 3:13)
• I will forgive my brother (Eph 4:42)
• We will be kind to one another (Eph 4:32)
• We will be compassionate to one another (1 Pet 3:8)
• We will honour one another (Rom 12:10)
• I will live in harmony with my brothers and sisters (Rom 12:16)
• l will be gentle and patient with my brothers and sisters (Eph 4:2)
• I will accept my brother as he is (Rom 15:7)
• We will submit to one another (Eph 5:21)
• We will confess our sins on to another (James 5:16)
• We will pray for one another (James 5:16)
• We will offer hospitality to one another (1 Pet 4:9)
• I will carry my brothers burdens (Gal 6:2)

Listen now! (0:37min / 10MB)

16th May 2010 - Dave Harper - Healing

Dave looked at the commissioning of Jesus to do the things that he had been doing John 14:12. He indicated that it is a matter of believing in Him (‘anyone who believes in me’) and that it was ‘because I am going to the Father’. The significance of this is that the Holy Spirit would be given in power eg John 16:7, “If I go I will send the Counsellor to you” Acts 1:8,”You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you”, or Luke 24:49 where Jesus said “I am going to send you what my Father has promised, but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high”

To do the things that Jesus did we have to be convinced that it is God’s will to heal the sick and diseased. We looked at how Jesus healed all who came to him and every disease and sickness. And the reason given in a number of places is God’s compassion for those in such need. Healing is a revelation of the extravagant mercy of the heart of God. FF Bosworth says “It is not what God can do but what he yearns to do that inspires faith” .

The end of Matthew 9:35 through into ch10:1 reveals God’s plan to express his compassion through us, that the workers into His harvest field may be multiplied. To equip the initial 12 it says ‘He gave them authority to heal every disease and sickness’ Matt 10:1. In verse 8 Jesus says “Heal the sick”! Healing is not about me or my faith level, its the Father’s love for that person

Dave looked at the authority the risen and ascended Jesus has given us to do the works of the Kingdom – we have been licensed to heal with his authority. To act on this authority takes conviction about God’s will to heal and courage to be bold. Bill Johnson says “I live on the edge of impossibility. I lay hands on, turn my heart towards the Lord and pray my best prayer”

Questions

Are you convinced that Jesus healed all those who came to him? What does this say about his attitude to sickness? (We looked at a series of verses in Matt – 4:25; 9:35; !2:15; 14:36; 14:13-14)

So is it God’s will to heal all who come to Him?

Has Jesus commissioned us to do the same? (Matt 10;1,8)

Jesus said anyone who had faith in Him would do the things he had been doing (John 14:12). The healings in the book of Acts confirms this. How much faith do you need to pray for the sick?

Listen now! (0:50min / 13MB)

9th May 2010 - Phil Hardy - Restful Faith

Phil spoke from Hebrews 4:1-13 about how our faith can lead to us resting in God.

Faith finds rest in God. We are all a bit like Corporal Jones in Dad’s Army, running around shouting “Don’t Panic!!” while getting more and more panicky. Some people suffer from panic attacks. When we get panicky, we look for places of solace and some of those places are not good for us – comfort eating, addiction, shutting ourselves away, etc. This passage refers to a rest for God’s people. God has promised rest for us always, regardless of what circumstances we are going through.

Some people love wallowing in self-pity. We are not nice to be around when we are like this. God does not want us to be like this. The only way of resting in God is through faith. Faith leads to obedience. However, we must be careful not to put our trust in what God hasn’t said. And when giving prophecy, we mustn’t add our own bits to it.

God promised rest for the Israelites but their fear robbed them of the rest and, instead of entering the Promised Land in about 11 days, they wandered around in the wilderness for 40 years!

We need to get back to the Word to see what God has said. He has said that he will never leave us. This is true whatever situation we find ourselves in. We need to be obedient to what Jesus says. “We have faith in what Jesus says because it is Jesus who said it”. (Smith-Wigglesworth). Everyone puts their faith in something, even non-Christians … even if they don’t know what it is they are putting their faith in!

We all want to live in peace, but we will only find this peace in God. The Israelites gave up on God’s promises because of a lack of faith. Faith perseveres on into the place of rest. We must not take things for granted. We should press on into what God has for us. The Israelites became so familiar with the miracle of the daily supply of manna that they started moaning about it and demanding something else. When the spies came back from the Promised Land, the brought with them huge fruits etc but even so the Israelites panicked because of the size of the occupants.

We often panic the most at night. With the Israelites, their wilderness camp was set up is such a way that everyone, no matter where on the site they were, they could see the pillar of fire of God’s presence. This was a great reminder for them. “We must not despise in the dark what God has promised in the light.” To get back into the light, we need to get into the presence of God. God will fulfil all his promises and he has plans and promises for all of us.

We need to be obedient to the word of God. True faith is living by what we believe. Sometimes it may feel as though we are doing this through gritted teeth, but even then God will still meet us. We must not let our unbelief and disobedience get in the way of our true rest with Jesus. This is what the Israelites did and the writer of Hebrews uses the Israelites as a warning to us. We have a hope and a future so we shouldn’t be looking back at how good things may have been (which is what the Israelites did: “Let’s go back to Egypt” etc, even though they had been working as slaves in Egypt).

A small lack of faith can have huge consequences – i.e. an 11 day walk taking 40 years. Addictions often start with small things and progress. It is the same with trusting God. We start trusting God in small things and then we can trust him in bigger things. And our small trust can have a massive Kingdom impact. We have access to the throne of heaven and can hear the heart of God. God has absolutely everything that we need and he will provide it for us. We need to anchor ourselves in Jesus when the storms of life come along. Only when we are anchored in Jesus, can we rejoice in times of suffering (as we are exhorted to do in James 1).

We will never understand everything that God has for us and how it will work out. But we know that he will take us on a journey and it will bless us. A lesson from the Israelites is that the more we fight against God and moan, the longer the journey may take! Even in the face of disappointment, we need to trust God. We must press in to God, no matter what happens.

Questions:

Today I looked a Faith and Resting and what Hebrews teaches us of a rest from God for us to enter despite our circumstance and situation. A rest that God wants us to know and enjoy and when we enter that rest we disarm the very things that causes us unrest and to fear and panic in the night.

1. How do you see the relationship between faith and rest?

2. How do you best fuel an ambition to lead a restful life?

3. What’s getting in the way of rest for you?

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” ~Jesus Matt.11:28

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