THANKSGIVING & PRAYER 

SERMON ON THE LAST DAY OF 2022 (Dec 31) by Pastor Rajesh Mathew, The Cornerstone church Psalm 23: The Lord is my Shepherd and I shall not want

We will enter into 2023 with Psalm 23 

ENTER INTO 2023, WITH JESUS CHRIST YOUR GOOD SHEPHERD. LORD, LEAD ME INTO 2023! 

Psalm 23:5- You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

The year 2023, is the year of overflow. Your cup will overflow. It is in the spirit of prophecy. God’s grace, god’s glory, and god’s manifested goodness will overflow in your life. 

• It is the year of OVERFLOW. My cup will not be empty. Heaven will change this year into a year of overflow for you! IT IS THE YEAR OF THE OVERFLOW OF GOD’S GRACE 
• It says, MY cup. This is not yours, it is mine. It is my cup! It is personal and specific to you may you have that assurance and absolute trust in his Word.
• I will not look at what others have or don’t. but I will obtain from God what I need and want and only then I will leave. Be persistent and take this Word. This is a year of your cup overflowing. • If anybody asks you, how you are this New Year, you need to say I am overflowing in God’s grace,

In the peace of God, in the joy and the goodness of God. If anybody asks you how your life is, you need to say I am overflowing, don’t say ‘I don’t have anything’ but say I am overflowing. I am overflowing in the blessing of God, in the mercy of God, and I am overflowing with thanksgiving because Jesus is my Shepherd. If someone asks you, how is your business, you need to say, my business of overflowing. May the businesses be blessed.

TO SEE IT YOU MUST SAY IT 

The numbers in 2023, there are two 2’s. May your turnover at least double this year, and may your profits double. Whatever you have, may it double in 2023. May your blessings double. May the strength that you have now, the joy you have now, the

ministry you have, and the number of souls you won, let it double! Let your prayer life, and worship double. Let your faith double. The anointing double. 

WHAT IS THE SECRET OF THE OVERFLOW?

The Anointing of the Holy Spirit is the secret

He anoints my head with oil. The power of the Holy Spirit that manifest forth for those who believe, the oil of Jesus’s anointing is what makes your cup overflow in 2023. 

• The anointing of the Holy Spirit is spoken of as fire and as oil. Be recharged! • One type of fire made Peter sit down. He denied Jesus with the very lips that He had confessed that Jesus is the son of God, He denied the Lord saying he doesn’t know Him. • However, Jesus, after dying and being resurrected, did not go to Nicodimaueus who got him frankincense, or Arimathea’s house who bought him the tomb. Instead, HE went to meet with Peter, the one who denied Him. He went looking for the one who denied Him!

Jesus likes you. 

You may have denied him and refused him in 2023, but this night Jesus, your Good Shepherd has come looking for you. 

• You may have sat in front of another fire but there is a fire of the Holy Spirit that will anoint your head.

In 2023, the fire that will make you stand in front of a crowd and preach winning 3000 souls at one go, like Peter shall come upon you. 

• God has given me the anointing of fire. 
• When Peter had left, Jesus came looking for him. Jesus asked Peter, Simon Peter do you love me? Look after my sheep. Once more, Jesus said, Simon son of Jonah, do you love me? Tend to my sheep. When Jesus said this to Peter, Peter did not have a single sheep with him. One could understand what Jesus was trying to say if the person already had sheep under him but here Peter had none. Yet Jesus said this visualizing Peter’s future. The fire of the Holy Spirit would descend upon Peter on the day of Pentecost and 3000 souls would be saved with His one message! 

The Holy SPIRIT is saying this to someone here who doesn’t yet have a ministry. God will anoint you with fire and 3000 souls will come to Jesus.

In 2023, you won’t sit in unwanted company. God will keep you so involved in a ministry that you will have no time for this. You will run for Jesus. May the grace to win cities for the Lord come upon you. 

Look at this church hall carefully. It is going to double. 

In 2023, souls will not be destroyed but they will be saved. If 3 have left 7 more will be added to the church by the Lord. If ten leave, 70 more will come the Holy Spirit will do this. 

WHAT DOES OVERFLOW MEAN? 

1 Timothy 1:14- The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus

1. OVERFLOW MEANS GRACE BEING POURED OUT ON YOU ABUNDANTLY 

Poured on me abundantly. The grace of God was exceedingly abundant upon me. That is what overflow means. HE IS A GOD of the OVERFLOW. 

Exodus 36:5- They went to Moses and reported, “The people have given more than enough materials to complete the job the LORD has commanded us to do!”

• The people brought more than enough. Moses was like, “Enough. Don’t bring more. We have enough! God has blessed us enough, go give your offering to some other church.” 

2. OVERFLOW MEANS EXCESS WITHOUT STRESS 

• It may be health, wealth, ministry, giftings, peace, joy, strength- excess of this will flow into you. 

Ministers of the gospel get ready, God is going to use you beyond what you have asked Him and  beyond what you desire!

Leviticus 26:10- 10 You shall eat the old harvest, and clear out the old because of the new.In 2023, throw away the old things because God is going to fill you afresh! 

When you pursue God, things will pursue you. You don’t go after things. Just go after your Shepherd. The Lord will fill you with what you need. This will happen suddenly!

• Just like how the Holy Spirit came down upon the disciples suddenly, the provision of God will come down upon you suddenly. You will be filled suddenly.
• God blessed Solomon with great wealth and even the shield held by the army was made of gold. Solomon asked God for wisdom, he worshipped God and sacrificed on the altar and then kings and queens (like Queen Sheba) came seeking him with wealth. You just stand with God and you don’t need to go after other things.

In 2023 your blessing will come seeking after and looking for you. 

1 Kings 10:14 (MSG BIBLE)- 14-15 Solomon received twenty-five tons of gold in tribute annually. This was above and beyond the taxes and profit on trade with merchants and assorted kings and governors. 16-17 King Solomon crafted two hundred body-length shields of hammered gold—seven and a half pounds of gold to each shield—and three hundred smaller shields about half that  size. He stored the shields in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. 

Verse 21 says 21 King Solomon’s chalices and tankards were made of gold and all the dinnerware and serving utensils in the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold—nothing was made of silver; silver was considered common and cheap.

• Silver was common and cheap. So, Solomon said don’t use silver!
• I will preach a bit of prosperity today. Some people have a problem with it and so I am sure that the devil doesn’t like me preaching it! 
• Heavens don’t want to give you what is common and cheap. Whether it is in your spiritual life or in your material life. Valuable faith, valuable anointing. Today may you have the certainty that God will not withhold anything good from you. 

In the house of the widow in Zarephath, God did a miracle and she had an unfinishable meal in times of famine. Food that wouldn’t run out! 

• I always asked the Lord that I should never run out of food to feed the sheep. I am talking about spiritual food. Even if there are ten services, may the Lord always provide a fresh and new meal for each service! 

That is a prophecy for some of the ministers here. May you have a meal that will never run out. 

• In 2 Kings 4, we see that as long as the vessels were brought, the oil keep flowing into them. The oil stopped when the vessels stopped coming. Do you have a vessel? If you do, God will always supply. 

According to your faith, God will supply. Increase your business, send your kids abroad, buy a car for your wife, whatever that is, just take steps of faith.

3. OVERFLOW IN THE BATTLEFIELD 

2 Chronicles 20:25-26-25When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their spoil, they found among them an abundance of valuables on the [a]dead bodies, and precious jewellery, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were three days gathering the spoil because there was so much. 26And on thefourth day they assembled in the Valley of [b]Berachah, for there they blessed the LORD; therefore the name of that place was called The Valley of Berachah until this day.

• Berachah means ‘Blessing’. Within your battles, there is a blessing. Life has battles, but within it,a Berachah will be revealed. The battle is because there is a blessing in it.
• How long drawn has your battle been? Your blessing will be proportionally bigger! Usually webecome fearful, and hopeless when we see our battles and our cup emptying out. We wonder what is happening in our life. Why so many challenges? Those are birth pangs. That is to bring you closer to Jesus. To once again cause you to pray, to test your faith and make it precious in God’s sight.

Don’t worry that your cup is empty. You need to still say that my blessing is overflowing. God will bring you such a blessing where it will take months and years for you to gather and get your mind around it! In 2023, god will do this for you!

Because the one who supplies is the Lord. He will supply all my needs according to His riches in glory.

4. THE OVERFLOW FROM THE SHEPHERD

• God desires that your enemies will see your blessing. You got baptized and everyone asks you how your daughter will be married. God will do it. Your enemies will see. You will have a table.Your enemies will see it. People may ask you why you still don’t have a child. Then also, you visualize a child and thank the Lord.

Either the Lord will destroy the people who come against the church or sometimes, HE will keepthem alive to show them how much you are blessed.

• We do not war against flesh and blood but against spirits. But there are people who are drivenand taken captive by these spirits. Even in their midst, God will honour you. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.

5. THE OVERFLOW AT THE LAKE GENESSARETH

In Luke 5, we see what the Lord did.

Net-breaking, boat-sinking, friends-calling blessing. Take it by faith!

• When you feel everything is over, that is when God will do a miracle. When you feel everything is over, and you have tried all night but caught nothing, God will do a miracle. Just listen to His Word and step out.
• In John 2 at the wedding at Cana, the wine got over the first time. But the wine that was made by Jesus never got over! The Bible doesn’t mention anything about the wine getting over! If you go to Cana now, they still sell it in small bottles!��

If the Lord has opened something for you or done something for you, it will never cease or end.

• Are you conscious that this is done by God or that this is given by God? If yes, you need to know that it will never end. It will be a generational blessing! Generations will enjoy it.

John 6:7- Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.”

• There were 5000 men at that place. Imagine alongside with them their families too, may be almost 10000 people or 20000 people. There the Lord multiplied the bread. Our God is a big God. He is a mighty God.
• Place your hand over your head and say Lord change my perspective, open my eyes to see how BIG your Lord is.

In 2023, you will see how big your God is!

• Isaiah 66 says, The Lord is seated on the throne. He is sitting in the heavens. He stretched His feet and the earth is His footstool! That is how big your God is. It is this Big God who multiplied the bread to feed the 20000 people.

John 6:7- Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.”

Verse 11: And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them [a]to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.

Verse 13- Therefore, they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.

• There was only a little, in the beginning. Then they were given as much as they were satisfied. But after they were given there were 12 basketfuls left over.
• There is a progression from the time it began. When it started, there was only little (like food fora baby), only 5 loaves of bread and 2 small fish but by the time they finished, it was 12 basketfuls left over.

When you start 2023, you may have only a little but by the time this year ends, you will have an abundance and 12 basketfuls left over. God will release an overflow.

Despise not the day of small beginnings.

We have only a little in our hands but give it to Jesus. He will make it grow. When God makes you grow or multiplies what you have, you need not be tense or have tension.

• In John 12, when Jesus was sitting in Lazarus’s house, one lady came and broke the perfume box. Judas said we could have given this to the poor. Bible says that Judas wasn’t really concerned about the poor but he was a thief. Many people say that about the church also. They say why

have such expensive lights and sound systems. Why don’t you just give that money to the poor? It’s not that they are concerned about the poor but they just want to pull the church down.

I just want to tell you that I don’t touch one penny from your tithes. I don’t even buy a ‘vada’ (a teatime snack) for my children with it. All that money is well audited and accounted for because I knowthat one day I will need to give an account to Jesus for it.

• Judas was a thief. He was actually taking money from the bag. Jesus never stopped Him and neither did the disciples say, because Judas is stealing we don’t have enough money for the 

ministry. Do you know why? Because God kept filling and providing for the church! They never felt the lack!

2023- this morning you need to remember that no matter who steals from your  business or who cheats you, God will bless you in such a way that you will still not lack anything, this year.

• The devil comes to steal, kill and destroy. But Jesus came to give you life in all its abundance. The Amplified version says, abundance and overflow! May His life flow into you. Let every fear of death leave your life.
• Even if you have another lockdown, your resource will not decrease. No matter how many are laid off in your company, your resources will be preserved. Heavens will release an overflow to you.

WHAT IS THE SECRET OF THE OVERFLOW?

1. CONNECTED TO YOUR SHEPHERD

• Connection to your Shepherd. You need to know how Big He is. What man sees determines what God gives. You need to have a vision in your spirit. 1x18 zeros!
• Lift up your head and see. Whatever you see, will be yours. If you see it, you will receive it.• Let mental limitations be broken off. If you are only thinking about your struggles and lack, youneed to be set free in your mind this morning.

2. CONNECTED TO A DIVINE INSTRUCTION

• What is God telling you? It is within that instruction that you will see the increase. Isaac heard from God that God said, not to leave the land because of famine but to stay there and that God would bless him right there, in that very land. Isac obeyed and was blessed reaping a 100-foldduring the famine! On the contrary, Abraham had left and gone to Egypt but came back withHagar and Ishmael which cause trouble even to this day.

Just because somebody has gone to Canada, you also don’t need to go to Canada. God may only need you to go to Calicut. Just do that and you will be blessed!

• God revealed Moses’s ministry at the age of 80 years! Not what others are doing but what God is telling you specifically. Pay attention only to that!
• If God tells you to sell peanuts, just do that! You will become a billionaire that way. What GOD has spoken to you, He will do. He will fulfil it.
• God, open my spiritual ears to hear the voice of the Shepherd. God can speak to you in any way. He can speak to you through angels, through a child, through the Word. Let such realms be opened for you. May you be like sheep that hear the voice of the Shepherd and follow Him.

3. OBEDIENCE

What is obedience? It is a submission to another authority. There are dimensions of obedience.

➢ Lifestyle obedience or character obedience. The Lord desires to see the nature of the Shepherd in you. Obedience that makes you change the way you live and walk. Though we go to heaven by grace, there are only holy people there. God will perfect you and He will perfect that which concerns you. Having said all this, there are no liars, thieves and wickedand unholy people in heaven. Only those who are walking in holiness. May the Lord release 

a grace upon you to walk in holiness, in prayer, in worship, to walk in the fruit of the Holy Spirit and in HIs nature.

➢ Obedience in the Kingdom service: Don’t come to church and do nothing. Just tellsomebody about Jesus. If each of you bring at least one person to Jesus, this church will grow. Some people have been coming to church for years but not one from their family hasstill come to church. But please note that even if you don’t bring people to church don’t at least pluck them out of the church! You have an assignment from God.

Tell the Lord that you want to obey the Holy Spirit.

4. DISCIPLINE

1 Corinthians 9:25-26-25And everyone who competes for the prize [a]is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus, I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

• Inside everyone, there is a weakness. For some people, the lust for wealth. For some, it may be the opposite sex, for some same sex, for others it may be arrogance. You have to allow the HolySpirit to take charge of that area. That can either make you or break you. Even if it is anger, you have to bring it under control. Even if it is gluttony, you need to bring it under control. It might

be the way you spend your money. In everything take refuge in God’s grace. When Discipline comes overflowing blessings begin to manifest!

Discipline brings order. Even in heaven, there is an order in everything. In your room, in your cupboard, in your home, there needs to be an order.

4. GUARD YOUR HEART

• For the overflow, you have to learn to guard your heart. For out of it flows the issues of life.Proverbs 4:23- Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.
• Keep your heart not for your wife or girlfriend but for Jesus. The overflow comes here. Give yourhearts afresh to Jesus.
• Surrender these and do these then the overflow will manifest for you.