Sunday Sermon by Pastor Rajesh Mathew, Cornerstone Church, 24 October 2021

Joshua 6:1-2- 6 Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. 2And the LORD said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jerichointo your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.

Acts 16:25-26- 25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.

Psalms 103:1-5- Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

• Jericho was shut up but it was the time for the promise to be fulfilled.

God is going to unlock my next level! Declare that over your life. Your gifts, your destiny, the doors of your finances, your locked mindsets are going to be opened, the blessings for your children is going to be opened. Shut doors are going to be opened. It is time for your giftings to flow out.

• It is time to be unlocked. The devil may have planned to keep you locked but the Lord has the keys of David and He is about to open shut doors.
• His Name and His Blood is opening up shut doors for you. Prayer of agreement is opening up doors. Praise and Worship is opening up doors.
• Paul was blinded and Ananias was sent by the Lord to open his eyes. The doors of his destiny and ministry were opened.

The Holy Spirit is saying that it is time for your calling and giftings to be revealed. Those of you who have been praying for days and hours every day asking God to show you His purpose for your life, today God is going to give you an encounter with your destiny.

Real estate related businesses that were lying locked up are being opened up by the Lord. Supernatural prophetic declarations by the Lord over your life.

• The Lord has given you the city of Jericho but only if the doors of Jericho are unlocked that the real blessing would be revealed.

WHY SHOULD THE DOORS OF JERICHO BE UNLOCKED?

• Because there is a house in the city of Jericho that has the scarlet chord tied to the windows.

The Foundation of the faith and refuge in the Blood of Jesus will cause doors to be opened over your life.

• By the Blood of Jesus, the doors will be unlocked. I put my faith in the finished work of Jesus. Me and my family have taken refuge in his Blood. The locks over my family, my

household, my children and my life must be broken and doors be opened up. The prison doors are going to be opened.

• You are no longer a harlot, you have put your faith in the Blood of Jesus. You have been a slave to a problem or to a sin, but if you have believed the Word from the Man of God, and from the God of Israel, Jesus, your future will be realigned to enter the genealogy of the Son of God, like it happened with Rahab.

You cannot seek the Lord in vain. Faith is Jesus in never in vain, the door is opening.

• Foundations were shaken and prison doors opened. The presence of God will come upon you in such a way that the foundations of prisons will be shaken. Not only yours but all those who listen to your worship will be set free.

In Kathryn Kulhmann’s ministry, people would flock for healings. Some would receive their healing and some wouldn’t. She says, when Jesus became more real than their sickness, their bondage of disease was broken, such people walked in healing.

Don’t not be conscious of your chains and prisons but be conscious of His presence.

• The apostles focused on Jesus in the prison and when they worshipped focusing on Him and not their chains, the foundations of prison were shaken,

Jesus has to become more real than your bondage

• God can never heal somebody until they are relaxed. When you say, “Oh Lord I love You, you are greater,” when that happens, the doors are unlocked.

The most important aspect of your deliverance is your consciousness of the Presence of Jesus.

The children of Israel while walking through the wilderness for 40 years were conscious of pharaoh, the cucumbers and the food of Israel. But there was a Joshua generation that was conscious of the Promised Land and of the Ark of the Covenant.

If you become conscious Jesus Christ, the Presence of God will come upon you. HERE ARE A FEW PRACTICAL INSIGHTS ON HOW THIS HAPPENS:

1. The character of appreciation- In worship, when you appreciate and honour Jesus, displaying the character of appreciation. We have all learnt in school as children, the signs of good behavior or character- saying ‘sorry, please and thank you’! When you appreciate Jesus through worship, you are inviting His presence.

Psalm 29:2- [a]Give unto the Lord the glory [b]due to His name; Worship the Lord in the [c]beauty of holiness.

How do you practice the presence of God? Thank the Lord, appreciate Him. When you thank Him, you are giving Him the glory due to His name. This applies not just to God but also to people. Do not deprive people the honour that is due to them. That will break the bondage in your life.

Husbands won’t say a single thank you to their wives! While in prayer the Lord asked me whether the Bible says that only women should look after children and I said no Lord. Then the Holy Spirit asked me, did you say thank you to your wife. she does everything

concerning the children (bathe them, feed them, teach them) which you are supposed to do along with her. I got out of my prayer closet and said Thank you to Tanya. In the animal kingdom, the lioness is the one that goes out hunting and the Lion looks after the children. The giraffe is also like that. The female giraffe also goes out and the male giraffe looks after the kids. The same is seen in the Ostrich too.

You are showing yourself as kindhearted when you say thank you. You need to show it towards God and towards men to whom it is due.

People who can’t say “thank you” to people will always find it hard to say “thank you” to the Lord. If someone makes a good coffee or drives your car well, say thank you to them!

• Abroad I have seen this- as soon as the flight lands, everybody claps in appreciation of the pilot and the crew. Here in India, we give the poor air hostesses a hard time by scrambling out of our seats, opening the overhead luggage cabin and trying to get out even before its time, despite all the announcements being made!
• Many of us think why should we say thank you to servants---they are being paid for the job they do. Why should I thank him or her? Still, you need to thank people. Please pay them too, your thanks alone won’t suffice but remember to say thank you.

Thanksgiving or appreciation is a proof of a grateful heart.

• You are not feeling entitled to everything. You don’t have the mindset that you deserve everything. As children we used to joke and say, “this pen has reached its rightful owner”. Actually, that is pride.
• Grateful hearts are those that become free form bondage. Jericho wall came down, when the children of Israel worshipped and thanked the Lord on the 7th day.
• If you give God the honor and thanks that is due to Him, certain things will be unlocked over your life.

Gratefulness comes from humble people. Humility is not stupidity. It is a high mentality.

• Wise people are humble. Foolish people are arrogant. Foolish people have closed doors. Arrogant people have closed doors.
• If you humble yourself and thank the lord, the heavens will open over your life and bless your life.

Appreciation is also a sign of helplessness.

• Lord, if you don’t help me, I am helpless. Lord, you watched over me, you took care of me, Thank you lord.

1 Chronicles 15:26- 26 And so it was, when God helped the Levites who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, that they offered seven bulls and seven rams.

• Today its not rams and bulls but thanksgiving and praise. Thank you for helping me so much Lord.

Thanksgiving might sound very simplistic. When you practice and exercise it, it reaches excellence. When you learn it and adhere to it, you will become excellent.

On Republic Day function, you see the army marching perfectly in ranks. They have been practicing for months. That excellence comes only then. In your life, character, heart, words and attitude, when you practice thanksgiving, you will be driven to excellence. You will be kept humble.

• Than you for blessing me, helping me, giving to me, providing for me. Appreciation is a sign/proof of honesty.
• People who are not honest can never thank others. They will claim all the glory. • Being brutally sincere, you know that it is only because of God’s grace because of people who prayed. Gratitude towards parents, teachers, people who prayed and fasted for you. It is for such people who are genuine that there will be unlocked doors. “Lord help me to be thankful, help me to be brutally sincere” Lord.

The Lord told me that those who are thankful are reliable.

• You can rely on those that appreciate others. You can be sure that they will stay faithful. You gave some people the opportunity to minister and serve God, they are appreciative of that. If they think they are very great and have a great calling in their life, they are not reliable.
• Of the ten lepers who were healed by Jesus, only one returned to thank the Lord and fell at His feet and Jesus said to Him, “your faith not only healed you but made you whole. You are not just healed of leprosy but good things will continue to happen to you in your life. You are reliable. Your entire life will be secure, you are saved for eternity. Your future is secure by the grace of God. “
• I pray that you never get used to God. Out of a deep humility and brokenness, Lord, “come and make me live again.” Let your Word again fall on my heart, enable me to worship you again.
• That humility is what causes the Lord to open doors for you. The Prison doors are opened by Him.

Appreciation is a proof of godliness and righteousness.

Hebrews 6:10- 0 For God is not unjust to forget your work and [a]labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

God knows. He is righteous. He doesn’t show unrighteousness. If you haven’t thanked and appreciated people, you are not righteous. The nature of God is God is not unrighteous. He says, I won’t forget your labour of love. I will bless you, HE says.

You need to practice that.

God can entrust you with more resources when you are thankful. God is saying, “I am comfortable to go with you because you appreciate Me. Will you like to be with someone who wants to always blame you, keep murmuring and complaining? When you are walking with God, from your heart, God will say, “We can do this journey together. I can make you go you’re your Promised Land. I can make you go and dwell in cities that you have never been to before. I can make you take over business that you never thought possible. You have a good heart, and you know how to appreciate the goodness that is shown to you”.

When you thank and appreciate God, He will give you victory over the temptations of pride and self-glory.

There is a man of God who is entrusted with a church spread over 120 acres of church land called Canaan Land. The man of God said, anything good that you see here, God did it. Anything bad that you see here, I did it! A press reported asked Him, how do you feel? He said, “I feel the presence of God”.

• It’s is good to say that sometimes.

A man of God built a huge University. I had been there. On the day of the inauguration, this man of God lay down on the ground and said, “I want to be on the floor and submit this to God. God did this!”

• Invisible doors are opening for you. Business doors, destiny doors are opening for you.

Doors and ways that nobody has ever seen. Even within the red sea, a way that is hidden was revealed. God is opening invisible doors and hidden ways!

For you to sustain authority you must possess humility. That is what is appreciation!

You need to have tireless appreciation. When you grow in faith, you need to have a thankful heart. Jacob as he aged and was dying, leaned on the staff and praised God.

You need to be tirelessly appreciating God. God is unlocking over your life. God will always accelerate a higher dimension of divine acceleration and manifestation.

THERE IS A BASELINE MANIFESTATION AND THERE IS A HIGHER DIMENSION OF MANIFESTATION.

Psalms 103:1-5- Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

A man is preaching to his own soul. We need to ask our own self, you have lived for so long, have you thanked the Lord? Forget not any of His benefits. Do not forget, keep telling your soul, DO NOT FORGET.

Baseline manifestation/ blessing include the following:

1. Forgiveness of iniquities
2. Healing of all your diseases. By the blood of Jesus all my diseases are healed. o There are people who confess their sin and go and do it again. Why? Because they are not conscious of the Blood of Jesus. They need to be conscious. Many people call the prayer line for healing prayer but very few who call to thank for their healing.
3. Redemption/ deliverance from accidents. God will send you deliverance from court cases, legal issues, accusations, gossips. Any situation that brings you harm, he redeems you from it. Thank you, Lord for delivering me!
4. God’s Make up kit consists of Grace and mercy. He will crown me with it. He will crown you with humility and meekness. It is a benefit.
5. Renewal- He will renew my youth like that of an eagle. When God gives you benefits, what will you offer unto HIM?

Job 22:2-3- “Can a man be profitable to God, though he who is wise may be profitable to himself? 3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous? Or is it gain to Him that you make your ways blameless?

• God has given me all these benefits. I am a beneficiary and He is a benefactor? So, what should I do? I myself should become a benefactor.
• I need to pray for others, offer someone hope and help. Because I myself continuously enjoy the benefits from God, I am thankful and I will show myself helpful to others. That is when the doors open!

I must become an instrument. When God shows my benefits, I must be thankful, and myself become a benefactor. I must become an instrument of benefit for others. Then the Lord will open doors for me.