Sunday Sermon by Pastor Rajesh Mathew, 12 September 2021

Deuteronomy 7:14-15-14 You shall be blessed above all peoples; there shall not be amale or female barren among you or among your livestock. 15 And the LORD will takeaway from you all sickness, and will afflict you with none of the terrible diseases ofEgypt which you have known, but will lay them on all those who hate you.

• The Holy Spirit gave me this utterance- Step into your productivity. • God hates barrenness. God is saying, I will bless you and there shall be none barren amidst you and even among your animals. God wants you to be fruitful. • Barren refers to a woman who cannot conceive or give birth to a child. Unproductivity is also called barrenness.

In 2 Kings 2: 19-19 Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Please notice, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the ground barren.”

• The land was barren. God does not want your land and ministry to be barren. God’s desire is for you to be productive in every area of your life, in your life, profession, career. God does not want unproductivity in your life.
• Some people are highly productive. Then you begin to wonder, why am I not productive?

Today the Holy Spirit said to me, all those root cause of unproductivity in your life, will be dealt with by the LORD himself. This is the last morning that you will be unproductive. From this day forth, God is releasing a grace for productivity in your life. If you belief it, lift up your hands and thank the Lord.

Open your mouth and say, I shall be productive in the name of Jesus.

1 Samuel 1:6-14- 6 And her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the Lord had closed her womb. 7 So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, that she provoked her; therefore, she wept and did not eat. 8 Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?” 9 So Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the [a]tabernacle of the Lord. 10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and [b]wept in anguish. 11 Then she made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.” 12 And it happened, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli watched her mouth. 13 Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk. 14 So Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!”

A man of God was preaching on a verse. One of the team members said that he had already preached on that scripture before. So, he took another scripture and then

someone from the worship team said this too had been preached before. This happened a few times and then the Ma of God asked the worship team to sing a song and when they did, the Man of God said to them that this was a song that they had sung before. So, they took another song and he said that this too was a song that they had sung before. So, just like that today Word may seem like you have heard before but receive it with an open heart and God will bless you through it.

• Hannah is going through a frustration because of Peninah. Peninah is referred to as an Adversary.

Adversaries are good to have. Sometimes the adversaries can bring the best out of you or kill the best in you, if you are not careful.

Heaven is visiting you this morning to bring out the best in you though you are surrounded with adversaries. This morning God is bringing growth and fruitfulness from your life.

Verse 6: And her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the Lord had closed her womb.

Verse 19: 19 Then they rose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD, andreturned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her.

Between verse 6 and verse 19, something had facilitated the release of productivity upon this couple’s life. Every year, they went to the temple. Nothing was different. Every year Hannah went upset comparing herself to Peninah when she went to the temple.

Every time you murmur, the following three things happen in your life;

1. You empower your problem
2. You create a wall between you and God
3. You compel God to give you exactly what you murmur.

Numbers 14:28-8 Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the LORD, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: 2

• When you see no productivity in your life, do not murmur. Remember that the Lord will do as He said. God will honour your faith and He will move His Hand for you.

May you never get what you murmured.

• Every year, she went to the temple but went murmuring.

Three things happen between those verses:

1. Hannah started praying instead of murmuring

Verse 10- 10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and [b]wept in anguish.

Luke 18:1- 18 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray andnot lose heart,

• Without becoming discouraged, pray always.

Isaiah 43: 18-19- Behold, I will do a new thing,

Now it shall spring forth;

Shall you not know it?

I will even make a road in the wilderness

And rivers in the desert.

• Nothing new is seen. You are confessing this scripture for a long time but nothing seemsto be changing in your life. Because you did not hear God.

Verses 22: But you have not called upon Me, O Jacob; And you have been weary of Me, O Israel.

• You only said Amen when I said this to you. But you did not pray, you did not seek my face, You did not sit at my feet and pray. Receive that in the name of Jesus. • You can cry, murmur and complain all through life and nothing will change in your life,but when you pray things happen. When you pray, God does the extraordinary for you.• Hannah prayed in a peculiar way. She made a strange prayer. She said, if you give me a son, I will give him back to you.

When you pray, always think ‘how will God benefit from this prayer’. If only I benefit through my prayer, then productivity won’t follow there. But think about how the Lord’s desire and need can also be kept in mind when you pray. That is where productivity comes.

• Me and my family must be blessed.

Isaiah 41:21- “Present your case,” says the LORD.

“Bring forth your strong reasons,” says the King of Jacob.

• God is saying here to us, “Bring your strong reasons. Tell me why I should do it for you?” By blessing your family life, how will God be glorified. By removing your debt, how will you glorify God.
• God is asking “Why should I change your financially status? Contend with me these tough questions.”
• Saul chased David to kill him. And then David said something in Psalm 30.

Psalms 30:9-10- What profit is there in my blood,

When I go down to the pit?

Will the dust praise You?

Will it declare Your truth?

10 Hear, O LORD, and have mercy on me;

LORD, be my helper!”

• God took man out from the mud. We have dust allergy because nobody wants to go back from where they came out. David is asking, if I am killed and I go back to dust, will this dust praise You? But if I am alive then I will be a praiser! Lord, you know I am a praiser.
• Lord, if you set me free from this trap, I will praise you all my life.

What will God get from your deliverance and from your breakthrough?

One thing that God cannot do is He cannot praise Himself. David says, Lord, let mepraise you!

• What will God get if he answers your prayer. If God gives you money, what will you do with that money?
• God needed a prophet. Hannah said, if you give me a son, I will give him back to you.

I remember the times when I was taken to many rehab centers to help me get out of the addiction to drugs but nothing helped. I finally went to Jose Anathanam’s retreat and I was set free. My mother had prayed and cried that if the Lord would set me free, then her son would serve HIM. It was on that same day that I was set free during the retreat.

Where is God in your prayer? Your prayer should be about Jesus. We all pray but always it is about us! But prayer is about God.

• You will get a prophet, a worship leader, an apostle, somebody who go into the tabernacle with joy, if you set me free, LORD.

2. Hannah’s countenance changed

1 Samuel 1:18- 18 And she said, “Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.” So, the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

• Her countenance had changed because she was a woman of faith. She had the conviction that something would happen! God is about to do something for me! • This morning, let your countenance change. Many of you have been praying and are pale faced because nothing has changed in your life. You are praying thinking nothing will change in your life. But today pray with conviction that God will change your life.

Hebrews 11:6- it is impossible to please God without faith.

• You may come from any gender, any big family name, no matter how good looking you are, how religious you are, how qualified you are, how many years you say you have been in the Lord, we need to know that it is impossible to Him without faith, but when the Word enters you, stirs up faith and you cling to that Word and look unto the Lord with faith, your countenance will change and God will do for you as you have believed.

1 John 5:14-15-14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we askanything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us,whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

Faith = confidence

• The scripture said, if you ask Anything in my name. If you don’t know what God’s will is, how will you ask for His will? Productivity is His will and you need to know that and believe that. Healing is in His will. If you do not think so, how will ask Him for healing? The blessing for your children is God’s will. If you do not think so, how will you pray for your children. If!
• Anything- Not just spiritually. But also, materially. Read the Bible. This is the confidence that we have in Him…He heareth us!
• A nice house is God’s will for us, Ask Him.
• In Deuteronomy 8, the Lord is saying, “when you build beautiful houses, don’t forget ME”. God wants you to have beautiful houses. But just that don’t forget Him. Yes, ask Him for it.
• Even before Hannah saw the baby she knew that something had happened. Say it—It has happened. Ask Him, for family salvation whatever it is, ask him.

Romans 4:18-20-18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became thefather of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendantsbe.” 19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead

(since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He didnot waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,

• He staggered not- He did not become unsteady. He was strong in faith The double minded person received nothing, the Book of James says.

Verse 21: 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able toperform.

Abraham was fully persuaded- that is faith. This morning, The Holy Spirit is giving such convictions. Let the double minded spirit leave you.

1 Samuel 1: 19-19 Then they rose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD,and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife,and the LORD remembered her.

What is worship? A man’s expression of his reverence for God. It may be to kneel, or bow down and prostrate. Most people want to see productivity but they never worship. They sing a few songs but their heart doesn’t express to God

1 Chronicles 16:28-29 - Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples,Give to the LORD glory and strength.

29 Give to the LORD the glory due His name;

Bring an offering, and come before Him.

Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness!

• Give unto the Lord glory and strength.

Even your giving must be a part of your worship.

• In Africa, at the time of offering, the people in the church come forward singing and dancing worshipping. It is such a joy to see that. It is actually a part of their worship. It is holiness unto the Lord.
• Some of us bring out offering to pastor like you are giving stolen money to him, you give in hiding! No, let it be your worship unto the Lord.

Hebrews 7:8-8 Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom itis witnessed that he lives.

• Here on earth, though men take the tithe, the Lord receives your giving in the heavens!

10 is number representing redemption. When you give your ten, the remaining 90 isredeemed by the Lord from every curse. God will make your 90 doubly fruitful.

• Your giving is worship. Abraham had that revelation. Tithe did not come from the law of Moses. Even before that, Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedek. He had the consciousness that he was giving to God. It is a part of worship.
• Hannah said, I will give you Lord. It was her expression of worship,

The story changed- unproductive Hannah became productive.

• Whatever we do should be done in revelation. Moses was called by God to the top of the mountain and His glory descended there. He saw the hinder part of God. That is where he understood that God is the Creator. God was showing Him all that God made much before Moses was born. Genesis is written by Moses. Genesis- in the beginning God created the Earth and the heavens…
• It was all like a panoramic screen. He was seeing this in prayer. First five Books were written by Him. God called him to Pisgah mountain and showed him the promised Land, while he was still alive.

Within worship, God will show you everything that is ahead of you. It is in worshipping that God gives revelations by the Holy Spirit.

Genesis 22:5- 5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the [a]lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”

Worship means building an altar and sacrificing on it. Every altar should have sacrifice. I am giving what God has asked of me. Abraham was giving his only son.

Verses 16-17- 16 and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— 17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven

and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.

• Even your children will be blessed. There is a generational blessing God declaring here. The enemy’s gate will be possessed by your children. Your prayer and worship is not for nothing.
• It can be your singing, your dancing your jumping. It is an expression, you are giving to God. As a matter of fact, the Holy spirit inspired me to plan for a 12 hour long of non stop worship.

Praising is the highest form of prayer.

• Just spending time simply praising GOD. Hannah just worshipped at the end and the Lord said there shall be no one barren among you.

Men, women and animals and livestock, there shall be fruitfulness. Your business, career and relationship shall be fruitful.