Sunday sermon by Pastor Rajesh Mathew on 23 January, 2022

Hebrews 11:6-7 - 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. 7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith

• We are once again in a lock down on Sunday. Noah was also in a lockdown. The Lord Himself locked Noah and his family inside the ark. There is no lockdown that God doesn’t know about. • If it is the Lord who shut the door of the ark, He also knows when to open the door!

If certain doors are shut in your life, God also knows when to open it. Heaven knows. Seasons of open doors is starting in some of your lives.

• The ark of Noah had no steering, no engine, no anchor and no rudder. God was the one controlling it!

Do not be burdened that you have lost control of your life but know that God is still in control of that ark.

• When it was time, the pairs of animals and the birds came by themselves came to the ark. Would Bill Gates have been able to do this? Even if you had three PhDs, you wouldn't be able to do this. We struggle even to get just a dog into its dog house!
• God is faithful.

Every blessing that needs to find its way to you will be brought by the Lord Himself right to you.

• If Noah had tried to bring them, he would have taken years to do so.

In this season, the Lord will bring every single thing that you need into your life. He will bring. God is faithful. His will do this for His church.

GOD will bring variety into your life

• Noah believed. He had faith in his heart in the Lord.
• In the ark, Noah, his wife and their children, Shem, Ham and Japheth and their wives, would drink milk from different animals. Every day the milk would taste different.
• They would eat eggs from different birds. One day, it would be peacock’s egg; another day the hen, then the quail. All the bullseyes and omelettes would have different tastes.

In this season, different varieties of blessings will be brought to you. Let heaven release it over your life.

JESUS will bring light into your darkness

• There was no light in the ark. No halogen, bulb or light. Nobody knew which animal they would tamp an get bitten. They would have stamped poisonous snakes. They could have been bitten by some animal.
• But Jesus Himself was the light in that ark. No matter which dark corner you are sitting in, the light of the Lord is all you need!
• Tell the Lord, “You are My light and my salvation, Lord. I will not fear any evil.”
• That's why the lion and the lamb would say good night to each other every night in the ark!

This is a season where you need to take every blessing and promise by faith. Not by your strength or smartness but by His overflowing grace and faith, take it and receive it into your life. If you do so, you will lack no blessing or direction!

The Grace of God will bring you what you need

• Imagine Noah feeding all these animals everyday...you need grace! There may not been a day where the family members of Noah may have worried about where they will get the food to feed the animals from.
• Many people are stressed and tensed about how they will get their needs met. If Jesus is your light, know that all you need is available in His grace. Receive it by faith.

No need of stress. No need of any tension.

Stress means a condition or feeling or an experience that a person perceives when demands exceed the resources he is able to mobilize.

• How will I get my child married? How I'll I manage my future? How will I take care of my employees? These are various reasons that causes stress to people.

Stress spelled another way is REST.

• I will rest in Christ Jesus. I will take refuge in Him. Let the Ark of Noah teach you faith. BY grace and faith, all your needs will be met according to His riches in Glory in Christ.

Stress comes when you go through situations more than you can handle.

• 2 years of lockdown no! How long Lord?! You will lose your mind if you have not lost it already. • By His grace, a sound mind is your portion!! God has kept for you what you need. • God has kept for you every good thing. No good thing will be withheld from you, if you take refuge in Him and rest in Him.

The Grace of God will help you clear every mess

• Don't the animals need a variety of food? Not just to enter the ark but to remain in the ark. • Supernatural ability. Grace that strengthens you. Noah not only had to feed them but do much more. Just imagine the waste that was getting generated in it? The best waste management system would have been needed!

But there is grace to even clean up the mess! All the messes in your life can be cleared by you by HIS grace. If you have a willing heart, the grace will flow to you to clear every mess.

Grace will not make you lazy. Grace doesn't also make you sin. Grace gives you victory over every sin. Grace is supernatural enablement.

• Noah's wife asked him when will life become normal. Noah may have said, “I don’t know. The steering is not in my hands.” We are wondering when will all this be over?

But the one who has got us in, knows how to bring us out. I know that my God is faithful. When will COVID end? I don’t know.

It rained earlier. Now it is only the drops left on the trees that are falling. The worst is behind you, church! No matter who says what, the worst is behind you!

Grace keeps you safe from every danger/ enemy

• People say even after coming to church there are difficult situations. Oh, all that mess of the elephant.

There is too much mess inside the church, some say. Then let me tell you, there is death outside! The ark of the Noah is the only place where you are safe.

• You are only safe in Christ. There is safety inside the ark.
• The worst is behind you. Stay faithful to Christ. Stay faithful to where God has planted you. Don’t leave the church for whatever reason.
• Nothing would kill or harm each other inside the ark. The animals would look at each other and wish they could eat each other up but they couldn’t do so.
• There are dangers around but nothing will touch you if you are inside the ark. • God will watch over me. He will protect me. The lion may feel “I feel like killing that lamb but I can’t do it”. That is grace! God will preserve.
• Noah's wife must be saying “I am scared. Just look at the way that Bengal tiger is looking at me!”

God spoke to me and said if He has brought somebody into the ark. No matter what they may conspire or think, no matter how influential or strong they may be, God will into allow the leadership to be touched.

• Let the security that comes from the Holy Spirit come upon you today. The Lord will not allow the enemy to touch the leadership.

Grace keeps you safe from every danger/ enemy/ disease

• Hebrews 6 talks about the anchor which is the hope that we have in Christ. • Do not cast away your hope just because you are going through difficult circumstances.

The engine of this ark is the Lord Jesus. The engine oil is the Holy Spirit. • If you hold on to His promises and make Jesus your Engine, hope will flow into your heart. • No disease was found inside this ark even with so many animals and birds inside the ark. • We know that if one bird has been found to have bird flu, the government will kill all the birds. Same thing, if some cattle have the foot and mouth disease, others.

• No infection will spread. Even if one person is affected in your family/ household. God’s grace will keep you protected. In Jesus Name.

Grace flows when you give the control to Jesus

• Noah had no steering wheel in his hand. Noah didn't know where he is going. Nobody in the ark knew. If the control is given to the Holy Spirit, there is nothing to worry. Give the control of your business to the Holy spirit.
• Imagine if Noah had the steering of this ark. His hand would have hurt with all the turning and manoeuvring of the wheel. He would need change hands with his sons. There would be stress on where to go, how to go etc! Give the control to Jesus. No tension!

There was fellowship in the ark

• The ark had a lot of fellowship. We need fellowship. The nightingale is singing the lion to sleep. The penguin is resting on the lion’s back and listening. It doesn't matter who the Lord has places close to you, learn to fellowship with them

A successful Christian life cannot be lived alone. You need to learn to fellowship and rejoice with God’s people.

• Mothers in law, grandchildren are all together!

Luke 5:7- 7 So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.

• Peter went from zero to surplus. That same blessing was going to drown them. Peter began to get that sinking feeling. He would have sunk. It would have been more than a feeling. Then they beckoned unto their partners which were in another ship to come and help them

In fellowship there is help. Help me!

• He wasn't arrogant. He was not saying,” I know how to fish. I have been a fisherman in this boat for so many years!” Some of us are arrogant. We feel we know to run the business with our capacity, intelligence, contacts etc. But Peter was humble to ask somebody for help! His partners came and helped him.

Fellowship and partner with Gods ministers and His people. Come together when you get the chance. It will help you enter into the next level.

• We all need partners. You cannot succeed alone. Don’t sit in that room alone! • The gift of other people is a gift from the Lord. Many people are trying to succeed alone. • You need people and people skills. How to connect with in-laws, children, business partners. Team work.
• There are people with many degrees but no one to help. Inside the ark, there is a fellowship, there is friendship.

You need in laws and outlaws! If your spouse is happy, you are likely to be more productive in life.

• As iron sharpens iron, is what the Bible says
• Tell your husband you are a lion. Make him his Mutton Rogan josh and keep him happy, in it there is productivity for you.

Proverbs 27:17- As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. • Fellowship with the one with oil. Not the one who is dry! Peter called, HELP!!!

PARTNERS You need partners in progress, and not partners in crime. Your partner can be your mentor. Partners are people who will inspire, teach and motivate you.

There are people who fulfilled great callings in their life because they submitted to somebody.

Learning to submit

• Joshua submitted to Moses. Elisha submitted to Elijah. It may sound very spiritual but that is the way of the Lord.
• Ruth submitted to Naomi. Esther submitted to Mordecai, her uncle.
• Every queen needs a mentor. You may be a businessman, you may be the richest man. Learn to submit to your pastor! Only then can God lift you up.
• Jesus submitted to John the Baptist. The disciples submitted of Jesus and that’s why they became apostles.
• Paul submitted to Ananias

Followship will lead to leadership.

• Be a good follower, learn to submit. That is where your giftings will flow • David submitted to Saul. Namaan submitted to a maid servant! Moses was a great leader. He submitted still to Jethro, his father in law

Good parents need not necessarily have good children can become good only if they submit.

• Partnership will correct you. That’s why only few people experience the blessing though they may be going to the same church, listening to the same teaching.
• Miriam became leprous. Don’t naturalize everybody. She naturalized her brother. She saw him as a brother and that’s all. Miriam became leprous because of this. Moses loved his sister but couldn’t stop the leprosy from coming. God said, ‘you are my servant. You don’t get into this. It is me who will decide’.
• Lord, let me not naturalise everybody. Help me Lord to recognise the ones you have kept above me. Partner with them.

Numbers (MSG Bible) says this - “why do you act as if you alone run the show?” Moses said, who is on the Lord side? Korah was swallowed up.

God will always stand with the leadership.

Acts 22:3- 2-3 He continued, “I am a good Jew, born in Tarsus in the province of Cilicia, but educated here in Jerusalem under the exacting eye of Rabbi Gamaliel, thoroughly instructed in our religious traditions. And I’ve always been passionately on God’s side, just as you are right now • Who is your Gamaliel? Who is correcting you? Who is giving you strategy? Where do you learn instruction from? Teachers too go for teachers training.

2 kings 3:11 NRSV- Then one of the servants of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat, who used to pour water on the hands of Elijah, is here.”

• "Used to"- not just once or twice but was a habit! He poured water. Such is an ordinary servant who received double portion. Used to, used to.
• Daniel 6:10, we see that Daniel was used to praying three times a day. He opened the windows towards Jerusalem. He was used to this on his knees.

You need to be used to serving the Lord.

• No matter what, I will pray. Posture, position, in the upper room, towards Jerusalem. In Babylon as a slave he still prayed! Elijah like he was used to, prayed like before.

Inside the ark, there is a fellowship. They know how to get along. There is peace, joy, respect and no tension inside the ark!

• Acts 4 says in the early church no one lacked anything. Noah wasn't worried. No tension. God will release your pension. Don’t; worry about how you will eat, how you will feed etc! • Many who want to minister but are unable to. Don’t worry.
• In 1 Kings 1, God tells Elijah that there are 7000 more prophets who have not bent their knees. They are not ministering. Still their ration is coming; it has not reduced. God is taking care them. In these days there are people who are not able to minster. Don’t worry. You will not lack anything just because you are not ministering.

You will reach the top after the trial

God will move you from where you are to where you need to be!

• especially after the lockdown season, judgement season, testing season and pandemic season with death surrounding us, God will take you, like the ark that rested on the mountain Ararat, to the top!
• After the trial you are on top.
• Noah's ministered inside his ark, by faith. Teach your children the Word in these times. • A peace inside, even when there is death outside.

God will insulate you. God will hold you close and keep you and protect you.