Sunday sermon by Pastor Rajesh Mathew, 15 Dec 2019, The Cornerstone Church

Rev 5:5- 6- 5 But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

Vs 5 talks about Lion of Judah and vs 6 talks about a lamb. It looked like a lamb but roars like a lion.

The Holy Spirit says that the Lord is going to give you your roar back. Some of you will get your roar back.

Gal 3: 26-37- 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise

In Christ you are Children of God. If you have been baptised, you have put on Jesus Christ.

In these verses, the vision of Jesus is seen. The voice says that this is the Lion of Judah but when the eyes were opened, a Lamb was seen instead. A Lamb with a roar!

There is grace and an anointing within you if you are baptised and have surrendered your life to Christ. You are exactly like Jesus!

You might look like a lamb, fragile, weak as if you are going to be destroyed BUT you will roar like a lion. You look weak and small and like people could do anything to you…BUT you will roar. There is an anointing of authority that God is releasing upon you. God is going to give you your roar back. Your authority will be like that of a lion. The Holy Spirit is releasing the ministry of authority.

The Lord is touching you this morning. The devil is telling you that you are weak and tired. But this morning God is releasing an authority and anointing upon your life.

MORE ABOUT THE LION

1. The lion marks its territory by its roars.

• The roar of a lion travels up to a distance of 5 km. That distance signifies its territory.

Judah means praise. The distance and the level to which your praise will rise will reflect the arena of your authority.

• The level of your worship and your praise will determine your authority.
• Even the enemies of the lion respect the sound of its roar. The devil will step aside when you roar. Mark the territory of your family, finances, business, education, jobs, children and calling with your praise and roar. The devil will not touch them.
• The sound of your praise will mark your territory. That's why the devil shuts you up! He knows that if you praise he has no hold over your life. Praise Him and the mind binding spirits will leave.

2. The enemies cannot enter where there is a roar

1 Sam 17:1- Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle, and were gathered at Sochoh, which belongs to Judah; they encamped between Sochoh and Azekah, in Ephes Dammim.

• If your praise can be shut, the philistines can oppose you and intimidate you. You need to mark your territory with your praise in a way that the enemy cannot enter or touch it
• You need to know that even tired lions roar, hungry lions roar and wounded lions will roar too! You can roar despite your circumstances (tiredness, weariness, hunger, weakness). God is anointing your roar.

You don't have to be perfect to praise God.

3. The Supernatural provisions are released when you roar

Psalm 104:21-The young lions roar after their prey, And seek their food from God.

The Holy Spirit said that Elijah was first fed by the ravens. Then the Lord prepared a widow to feed him in Zarephath. After that, the Lord sent angels to feed him.

The Holy Spirit is saying that when you enter into 2020, your level will shift and change supernaturally. The supernatural provision is prepared for you beyond what you imagine. God is going to meet your needs according to His riches. Get roar back. Past few years you received a little from ravens, a little more from humans but if you are ready to roar and praise and pray, the angels of God will act beyond your imagination to provide for your needs.

You provision will come in that roar, your blessing will come in that roar.

4. Your children will return when you roar

Hoses 11:10- They shall walk after the Lord. He will roar like a lion. When He roars, Then His sons shall come trembling from the west;

If you will roar, your children will enter back into the blessing God gave you. When the lions roar, the lion cubs know that it is time to return. When you roar, the children will know that it is time to return. When parents worship, the son struggling with addiction will know it’s time to return. Return to God’s presence.

Will you roar? When you do, your children will return into God’s grace.

I saw a video on National Geography of a wounded lion lying down. The Hyena is the No.1 enemy of the lion. The hyena comes to attack the cubs of the wounded lion. Though the lion was wounded and lying down, it roared and the hyenas fled the scene.

5. Lions have scars, not wounds---OVERCOME

Majority of the lions have a scar. It is a sign that the lion is an overcomer. Something had attacked it to hurt it, kill it and finish it but it overcame. It is a scar. A dried up wound.

Remember that your Christian life is a warfare. Not against your mother in law but against principalities and powers of darkness. Attraction to the world and works of flesh will try to grip you. Some of you have been wounded by failures and weaknesses. God is sending forth healing upon your lives. Surrender to God, He will dry your wounds and make you whole.

In serving God, you will face battles, you will be wounded, people you love will leave you, and you will face dangers from false brethren.

The Holy Spirit says, “We are not eternal victims. We overcome by the Blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony.”

• I am talking about scars, not wounds. Wounds can be infected by bacteria. The body will be destroyed by wounds. That is why Jesus was wounded for your transgressions on the Cross of Calvary. Don’t walk around with open wounds. The flies will lay eggs there...Belzebub (another name for the devil) means the lord of flies. Don’t walk around carrying wounds in your hearts against people, for if you do, the enemy will lay eggs there and mess you up.
• But scars are a sign that your wounds have been healed. Let certain wounds be dried up in Jesus. You have to overcome addictions, sickness, discouragement, toxic relationships, unforgiveness, pain and anger.
• How will you overcome? Not by wearing new clothes or by being on social media or by using your personality, but...we overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and Word of your testimony.

The Hyenas have a distinct laugh. They know that they cannot mess with a lion with a scar because it tells them that this lion is an overcomer, a fighter! This lion knows to come out and to survive.

Certain things will come your way because of what you survived yesterday (in the past). God is lifting you up.

A Man of God known to pastor said that when a word is spoken or promise declared in his church, the people “suck it in with a straw”. The declare it and then they suck it in by speaking in tongues. The proteins and vitamins in that Word needs to be sucked in!

You will overcome if you roar. If you roar, the Lord will restore your territory back to you.

6. Lions are attacked when alone

Lions are always in herds. Hyenas try to separate them from the Pride. They go around the lonely lions laughing and mocking it. But if the church is together,

7. Accelerated walk

The lion walks in tipsy toes. It stands on its toes. It does so to indicate an acceleration or speed. Our walk is going to change! It is going to accelerate.

2020 there is an acceleration.

ABOUT JUDAH

Judah is the 4th son of Jacob, born to Leah. Though Jacob loved Rachel, God blessed him with Judah from Leah.

The Lord will cause your praise to rise from unloved circumstances of your life.

Genesis 40- Jacob did not bless the other sons before Judah like Levi, Simeon etc. He only spoke about their situations. But when Jacob laid his hands on Judah, upon the head of the one who praises, prophecies flowed out of him.

Genesis 49: 8- “Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s children shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He [a]bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him? Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.

• Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies---It may be a lion or a cat, when they get hold of something by the neck, it is over for that thing. There is no chance of escape. When the enemy tries to get hold of you through disease or bondage, your hand will come upon the neck of your enemy. If you are the one that praises, your hand will destroy the enemy.
• If you praise, there is complete victory!
• There is a lioness too. As a family the Lord will deliver you.
• Because Jesus is revealed through your life, God will not allow the sceptre of the wicked to destroy you. Tell each other that Jesus, the lion of Judah should be revealed through you and your family.

Judges 1:18-19- 18 Also Judah took Gaza with its territory, Ashkelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory. 19 So the Lord was with Judah. And they drove out the mountaineers, but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the lowland, because they had chariots of iron.

Who else do you need? Uncles, aunt? You need Jehovah. Are you the one who praises and worships, the Lord will be seen with you.

The success of Christian life is only one thing---God with you!

The Lord says that “in Judah I have found myself a king”. When your praise is revealed, you will be driven to the next level.

The size of your call is as big as the one who gives you that call. If Jesus calls you, your call is as big as He is, the Creator of the heaven and earth. You have authority in the spiritual and physical realm. God is going to open up doors to new nations. Meetings and ministry will be at a different level. The church property will become bigger. God will bless nations through us. The call of Jesus is big.

You are a lion cub; you roar and the territory shall come to you.