Sunday Sermon by Pastor Rajesh Mathew, 27 September 2020

Mathew 20:14-16 -14 Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For[a] many are called, but few chosen.”

Zechariah 4: 6-7- So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts. 7 ‘Who are you, O Great Mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” ’ ”

New American Bible - Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you become a plain. He will bring forth the first stone amid shouts of ‘Favour, favour be upon it!’”

God will show you double favour to be Number one

∙ Many who are last will be number one. The scripture from Mathew talks about servants who came at 3, at 6 and 12 hours. The ones who came at 12 too will receive the same wages.

Verses 15: 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’

∙ This message is for latecomers!! Late at school, college, late to be married, late to bear a child, those with delayed job opportunities and even those who are late for ministry.

∙ Those who are listening to me this morning and are feeling burdened that things are delayed in your life, God is showing forth double favour upon you. HE is bringing you from the back to the front, to be the first from the last. Receive it by faith!

He will bring you to the front by the power of the Holy Spirit and by His favour

∙ Jesus is speaking here about the Kingdom of God. Those who honoured the descendants of Abraham were the ones who came at 3.00. They refer to the Jewish people, the chosen ones of God. The ones that came at the last refers to us, the gentiles.

John 1:11-12- He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came toHis own,and His owndid not receive Him

∙ Jesus first came for the Jewish people.

∙ But the last ones are those who, even today, are being saved and are still today appropriating by faith the promises that God gave Abraham and who believe that their God is good. He is faithful to give you the same inheritance!

∙ Mark 7 refers to Syrophoenician woman. This lady understood that she was only worthy of the crumbs that fell off from the Master’s table. She was the last one, an outcaste, a gentile; but she believed that she will be delivered.

∙ Even this morning, many of you who are late and feel like all others have overtaken you in every area of your life. You are not late! This is your opportune time. Double favour over your life is being released. Because He is a good God.

∙ In the verse that we read from the Book of Mathew- the Lord says, I am God, why are you envious of me?

“I have the liberty to bless whom I want to bless, where I want to bless or when I want to bless. It is not your talent, your greatness, your qualifications. I will bless as I wish to.”- The LORD

∙ Let us go forward by faith and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. Jesus is good! ∙ There is an African of song. There is double favour to bring me to the front or to the first. When Peter came to preach at Cornelius’s house, he said that the Holy Spirit has been sent forth even on the gentiles just like He sent it upon the first (the Jews).

∙ Trust the favour of God to show up in your life. “Lord send forth your favour to bring me to the first”. Let that sorrow and discouragement leave your life. Are you discouraged with your marks? I always had poor marks. But those who look to the Face of Jesus will never be out to shame.

The Holy Spirit is saying that some of you are on the verge of your breakthrough! It is just around the corner.

What is a breakthrough?

A barrier that is limiting you from the next level in your life is broken! That is what a breakthrough is. The next level is ahead of you. The Lord doesn’t want us to stay behind always. The devil is the one who wants that. He puts blocks and hindrances. Our God is a God of breakthrough. He is faithful to bring me to the first. Let certain restrictions be broken from your life!

HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE ENTERING INTO A SEASON OF BREAKTHROUGH?

∙ There are some practical points that I will share with you. You cannot discern it. The wise men saw the star in the heavens. Not just them but everybody else too saw it. But the wise men enquired the reason behind this star. Others just took its pics and posted them on Facebook and went on with their life.

∙ Some people understand that there is a battle going on, but there is something after this battle. When certain things happen in life, either you are behind or things are delayed or there are battles, only GOD’s wisdom can help you understand what is happening behind these realities.

How to do you know that the Breakthrough is round the corner?

1) AN UNUSUAL IMPARTATION FOR PRAYER

∙ When your season is about to open up, there will be an unusual impartation of prayer. There will be a zeal to pray and eagerness for prayer. Even if you lie down to sleep, you feel good only if you pray. Not the usual half our or one hour of prayer, but a spirit of prayer where you feel an urgency in your spirit. An urge to pray deeply, continually. It cannot be equated to just going for a meeting and listening to a sermon.

∙ In Luke 4:1 the Holy Spirit took Jesus into the wilderness. For 40 days and nights, Jesus fasted and prayed. His public ministry was going to open up soon after this. When God is releasing something into your life, you will feel the urgency to pray deeply, more than your usual daily prayer time

When you lie own, when you work, when you go about your day, there will be a churning inside to pray.

∙ Lot of people, when they face challenges, start to pray and from that point onwards, they do not know what to do after praying. They feel that they have overcome or feel that the breakthrough has come, but something pulls them back. That is because they do not know how to depend or draw from the favour of God and they do not know how to activate divine helpers from the favour of God.

2) AN UNUSUAL GRACE TO GIVE

∙ During this phase, you lose the value of things around you. Nothing is more valuable that Jesus. Not your business, car, house, clothes, nothing! You feel that they are insignificant. None of these things matter to you.

∙ Abraham sacrificed his only son. He was ready. God was more important than Isac. Are you ready to send your children for the Missions?

Nothing is more important than the presence of the Lord. You feel like giving away whatever is on your hands. (Including your phone!)

∙ You begin to feel that your breakthrough is more important! You will be willing to cut off even some relationships for God. Nothing is more important that God. You know that you are about to step into something that will take you into the next level!

∙ One man shares an experience: On his way to one of his biggest work meetings for his business, the Holy Spirit told me instead to go home and pray and make a meeting with God. He said to the Lord that fi he misses this meeting, his business would be destroyed. God said to him, “I will build your business.” God is building our lives.

∙ There are many kinds of songs that you sing to the Lord. When you are in such a moment, songs of surrender will flow through your heart. God, I am giving you my all! You desire to surrender everything at the feet of Jesus- your job, your home and children. It is all yours LORD!

∙ You begin to cry and you know that God is doing something in you and He will take you to the next level.

∙ Moses left his father in law’s 100 sheep and went up to the mountain to hear God’s voice. If you keep holding on to the 100 sheep, you cannot go higher!

3) AN UNUSUAL CONFRONTATION WITH THE KINGDOM OF DARKNESS

∙ The devil doesn’t know your future. But he is an angel. When God’s angels are visiting people and rejoicing over what God is doing, the devil begins to understand that something great is going to happen and he tries to throw certain attacks at you to discourage you and make you feel hopeless.

∙ Or it might happen that you suddenly become offended, or become contentious or edgy, or impatient and snap easily. If you sit there upset and irritated, you will end up giving the devil a foothold

∙ The devil understands that God is about to take you to the next level and by becoming edgy, you give him a legal hold over your life. But this morning, In the name of Jesus let every such hold and evil’s plan be broken. Be free in the Name of Jesus!

∙ You almost feel like everybody is offending you. You feel you are all alone. It is to pull you down. People call you and said only two words and you still get upset at them. Your feel they are lying about you. Somebody only joked but you got hurt. When we are low, we end up calling 10 other people.

4) GOD WILL BEGIN TO ACTIVATE DESTINY HELPERS

∙ In the place where you cannot help yourself, God will bring people and resources or a bring angels to lift you up to that place f blessing. God will begin to activate destiny helpers over your life.

Let my destiny helpers locate me!

∙ You will begin to attract people who will help you reach your destination. ∙ Sometime the answer to sin may just be a Word of Wisdom. Somebody God will send into your life with that pearl of wisdom.

∙ There may be a block and you are unable to rise up but the destiny helpers will pull you up. They will pull you into the next level by double favour. ∙ By prayer and support they will pull you up into your next level into the plans and purposes that God has for you.

There are destiny helpers and destiny killers. God will send people to help you, the devil will also send people to destroy you. Destiny helper will improve your life and strengthen your life in the Lord.

∙ When Jesus was on earth, he needed an earthly father and an earthly mother. When you are in the earth, you need people. Jesus chose the 12 disciples. Couldn’t He have done it on His own?

∙ John the Baptist was chosen to introduce Jesus to the world. He said, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” John the Baptist was a destiny helper.

∙ Moses introduced Joshua for ministry. We need somebody to introduce you. ∙ In Luke 8, the woman had kept aside some money to help the ministry of Jesus.

Whether it is in your business, politics or in the corporate world or ministry, if you need to move into the next level you need God to release some people to come into your life to steer you into that next level.

Lord, help me to identify and honour those that you have kept to help me into my destiny.

∙ In the Old Testament, there was a Mordecai as a destiny helper for Esther. Namaan had a servant girl in his household to be a destiny helper. For all you know, the one sitting next to you might be the next BILL GATES!

∙ Many years ago a person had come here, and met me for prayer after the church service. I was actually tired. I had not valued that person too much. I was more arrogant than what I am now. Much later I got to know that this was one of the greatest Men of God. I missed a moment and did not show him the due honour to him. I called him and sought forgiveness, from him. I did not recognise my destiny helper.

∙ In your life, it could be the maid who works in your house, your driver or the person who came into your life to help you. If you learn to honour and value the people in your life, they might just be your destiny supporters!

∙ Moses had two people to support him to have his hands lifted up, Aron and Hur. You might wonder how that will help pay off your debts. There are some spiritual realities! In may be your corporate office, your home, you locality, God will move by his principles.

You need a helper to go to the next level from the current place you re in.

∙ That is a divine helper, a divine connection! Abraham had an Eleazer, Paul had a Barnabas. These people add value / significance to your life. For your life to benefit others, God will send destiny supporters to you.

The potential is not enough in itself. You need to enter that potential or opportunity to rise higher!

∙ Sometimes you need just a letter or a phone call to get that job. Our mentality is such that we believe God will everything supernaturally. Yes he is able to do so, but God also moves through people.

∙ It is God who blesses you but He blesses you through people.

2 Corinthians 9:8- 8 And God is able to make all grace [every favor and earthly blessing] come in abundance to you, so that you may always [under all circumstances, regardless of the need] have complete sufficiency in everything [being completely self-sufficient in Him], and have an abundance for every good work and act of charity.

HESED is the word used for favour. It means favour comes from God but is demonstrated through people. These are the divine helpers.

∙ This is the 4th stage. Sometimes it might just one tuition session to bring you to the front seat from the back bench in class.

The Holy Spirit is saying to somebody your child is not dull headed but just needs some focused personal attention. Many be you need a tuition teacher!

Psalm 72:6- Your favour will fall like rain upon a surrendered life.

∙ You need surrender and humility. Get ready to get wet in the rain. Don’t carry an umbrella or a raincoat.

∙ Joseph was the favour man. He had a great destiny that GOD had kept for him. ∙ His destiny helpers were actually his brothers who threw into the pit. The Ishmaelites who came by were responsible to take him to Egypt. His destiny was in Egypt. Would his father have otherwise allowed Joseph to go to Egypt? No!

When God sends you on a journey towards your destiny, He gives you something in your hand. Moses had a rod. Joseph had a dream!

∙ God will not send you empty handed on this journey. He will definitely give you something. It may be a dream. Don’t quit seeing dreams. Do not let go of theauthority in the name of Jesus that you have in your Hands. You will need all this on your journey. (1. DON’T STOP SEEING DREAMS, 2. REMEMBER THE AUTHORITY IN THE NAME OF JESUS)

∙ David had the deliverance to an entire nation. The things in your life that you consider very simple will be used by God greatly for His purposes!

Mordecai was a security guard of the time. One decision that he will not bow his knees before any other God was enough to steer him into His destiny. Your decisions can steer you into your destiny!

One among the sinners, Paul became one among the apostles. How? He had a realisation of his calling. (REALISE YOUR CALLING)

Onesimus who was a thief, became a co-labourer. He came forward from the back. He had the heart to help Paul in the work of GOD.

Joseph on his journey had a dream, he faced difficulties in Potiphar’s house. Joseph watched over his holiness. No one would have known if he had sinned, but he kept himself. He went into the prison. (KEEP YOURSELF HOLY)

Genesis 41:13-14- 13 And just as he interpreted [the dreams] for us, so it happened; I was restored to my office [as chief cupbearer], and the baker was hanged.” 14 Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon; and when Joseph shaved himself and changed his clothes [making himself presentable], he came to Pharaoh.

∙ The wine presser turned out to be a destiny helper. From the dark prison to the palace, God reminded a destiny helper.

This morning, may the Holy Spirit remind them of you!

∙ In the palace of Pharoah there were magicians, scientists, powerful people but the gift of only one person could solve the dilemma or problem of the king.

The solutions to some people’s problems is with only you! The gift gets manifested only when you honour your destiny helper.

∙ They honoured Joseph. The wind dresser introduced him to the king. If you speak your testimony, they will be delivered. 5 minutes ago he was a prisoner and 5 minutes later, he shaved and changed and became the Prime Minister.

∙ You might be just 5 minutes away from your breakthrough. This morning, God is saying that those who are at the end will come forward. The last will become first. God knows what kind of a person you are.

∙ Brother Ananias laid his hands on Paul. No matter what your situation is, cling to God and HE will bring you forward. Let there be a spirit of prayer, surrender and heart to give.