Sunday sermon by Pastor Rajesh Mathew, Cornerstone Church, 3 Dec 2023 

Esther 9:1- 9 Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day, the time came for the king’s command and his decree to be executed. On the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, the opposite occurred, in that the Jews themselves overpowered those who hated them. 

In the 12th month, when the enemies of the Jews thought that they had won over, the opposite occurred and the Jews won over instead! That is the blessing of the 12th month. Where you thought you would be defeated and put down, that will be the place of your victory. The opposite of your negative expectations will unfold for you in this 12th month.

THIS DECEMBER, YOU WILL NOT SEE THE EXPECTED DEFEAT. THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL TURN THINGS AROUND FOR YOU GRANT YOU VICTORY AND MAKE YOU STAND!

It may be a disease, a destruction, demonic power, you thought it would destroy you, but it won't. The devil will lose his hold over you. The Holy Spirit says this to the church. You will stand victorious.

The 12th month. Things turned to the contrary for the Jews. They were not destroyed as expected by the enemies, instead, they were victorious over their enemies.

THE LORD WILL NOT GIVE YOU OVER TO THE DESIRES OF THE ENEMY. THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL NOT ALLOW THAT. THIS IS THE MONTH WHEN THE DEVIL WILL FEAR YOU.

Our war is not against flesh and blood. But against powers of darkness. 

Esther 9:18- 18 But the Jews who were at [a]Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth day, as well as on the fourteenth; and on the fifteenth of [b]the month they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness. 

In the 12th month, there will be joy, festivities and celebrations. God will do this for His children.

JOY ---CELEBRATION ---FESTIVITIES await you this month, in Jesus name! 

There are three types of joy. 1) The joy that men can prepare; 2) the joy that comes from the devil and 3) the joy from the Lord.

Joy of men 

There is a preparation of Joy that men undertake and there is a joy that is prepared by God. An example of men’s idea of joy is seen in the scripture below 

Luke 12:16-17- 16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ 21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” 

This man is finding his sources of joy on his own. I will earn, save up and make merry, he says. I will build my career, my life, plan my retirement, I will do it and I will tell myself to make merry. Then God says, “You FOOL, what will you do if you die tonight?” If you are laying up only treasures for yourself and are not rich towards God, it is futile. It has no eternal significance. 

Tell Jesus, Lord, YOU are more important to me. I want to be rich towards you. Lord, you are more important to me. Some of you are so busy with jobs that you do not have time for church, for Bible reading or praying. That is not how joy comes.

This month is not just you rejoicing and making merry alone. It is to be joyful with others. Joy of the devil 

In Luke 15, we see that the prodigal son lost everything. Adultery, party, friends. He lost everything. Everybody who took things from him deserted him. He was plundered by his friends. The devil wanted to give him worldly joy but when he ended up in the pig sty, he remembered his Father's House. It was a place of joy and celebration. There is a joy in the House of God.

There is joy in worship, joy in walking with Jesus and joy in giving. The joy that only God can give! Not walking in the ways of the devil or of the world but walking with Jesus! 

Joy from the Lord 

Genesis 21:6- 6 And Sarah said, “God has [a]made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.” 

God will make you laugh. There may be delays. God is a joy-giver. God gave Abraham joy, a man who built altars and sacrificed to the Lord and decided to step out with God. He may have experienced delays. 24- year delay! But he had never stopped worshipping God, never stopped building altars to God and following after God. 

IN THE 12TH MONTH, WHAT IS DELAYED WILL COME TO PASS AND WILL BEGIN TO OPEN UP.The joy that the Lord gives won't leave. It will keep on growing. It's a growing joy. 

FROM THIS DAY FORTH RIGHT THROUGH INTO YOUR FUTURE, THE JOY WILL KEEP ON INCREASING! YOUR DEPRESSION AND HOPELESS THOUGHTS WON'T INCREASE BUT THE JOY GIVEN BY THE LORD WILL KEEP ON INCREASING HENCEFORTH! ISAC MEANS LAUGHTER. THE INCREASE HAS NO END. THAT HAS NO FULL STOP.

God said, ‘Abraham, look at the stars. As numerous as the stars are, your joy too will increase. One such star was seen by the wise men and it gave them joy. When your life reflects increase and blessing, even those who witness it will be able to rejoice in it.

But at one point during the journey of the wise men, they diverted from the right route and ended up in Herod’s palace. Then they lost sight of the sitar. Once they returned to the right route, they found the star again. There is Great joy in Jesus!

SOME OF YOU WHO HAVE LOST YOUR ROUTE, IN THE 12TH MONTH, WILL ONCE AGAIN SEE YOUR STAR AND GET BACK ON TO THE RIGHT ROUTE.

Great joy for the people of God. From small joy to great joy! Jesus, who is your great joy resides inside you. That joy is JESUS.

Philip had a visitation with this Jesus and he went into a town. And the whole town began to rejoice. There is an impartation upon this Word. The joy in you is not just to be limited within you but it will spread wherever you go, in your city, in your town, in your home, in your village. This joy will keep on growing. Praise God! 

Psalm 118 says Shouts of joy and victory resounding in the tents of the righteous of the Lord.

IN THE 12TH MONTH IN DECEMBER, LET THERE BE JOY, SOUNDS OF VICTORY AND CELEBRATION IN YOUR HOMES AND MAY IT KEEP ON INCREASING, IN JESUS' NAME.

12th month- God gave joy, God made festivities and they gave gifts. Bring a gift next Sunday for the one sitting next to you in church. make a prophetic gesture! God will flood your home with joy.

Ephesians 3:3-4- 3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 

The Holy Spirit said- the oldest animal in the forest. Zebra. Black and white. This sermon may be very outdated but there is deliverance in it.

The 12 mysteries that the Holy Spirit wants to reveal in the 12th month: 

MYSTERY 1 - You see the outcome but you can't see the process

▪ How does a sinner become righteous? Can you see it? No, you can’t. It is a mystery. How did the stammerer become an apostle? A mystery. The Holy Spirit did something inside of them. You can't explain it or understand it in your mind but you will see the outcome. The outcome is that God will do something great for you. You don’t know how this happened? But it happened through the Lord. 

The Holy Spirit said to me, “Your life will be a mystery to the people around you” 

▪ C’mon, receive that Word. Your life will be a mystery to the people around you. It may be your healing. The doctor may have told you that you will never come out of that condition, but God did something. ▪ God is healing a blood disorder in Jesus' Name. It happened by the Lord. It is not possible to understand this in your mind. God will do something for you! it is not your fasting, not your praying, but a work of the Lord! People will wonder, ‘how did she get healed?’ or ‘how did she travel so far, even when she was told that she will no be able to?’ 

Your victories will be a surprise to others. It's a mystery 

▪ How did this addiction break? What you are not able to give up or quit, God will make you do it miraculously. He will get you out. 

There is a time when you quit sin and there is a time when sin quits you. Get ready, sin is going to quit you! 

Your success is going to be a mystery. You are looking at a mystery. You are not able to explain to people how. People may ask you, how? Did you win a lottery? What you do for God they cannot see (you may be paying your tithe, you may be giving your offering). How? How is God using this person across the world? 

Just receive this Word by faith. You can’t explain it.

Joseph's brothers put him in the pit. The brothers next see him as the Prime Minister of Egypt. Mysterious grace was working on his behalf. How could that happen? They could scarcely imagine! They never thought that there was a God who would lift Joseph out of the pit, when they cast him down into it! 

You see the outcome but you can't explain it. Your age is only growing in terms of only the number but your looks and energy are only getting better.

MYSTERY 2 – The Wisdom of God

1 Corinthians 2:7- 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God [a]ordained before the ages for our glory, 

The knowledge/wisdom of God is a mystery. God could have sent Jesus onto earth in huge fanfare surrounded by angels and in a fancy spaceship, and made a heavenly announcement that Jesus was coming 

but God did not do that. Instead, He sent Jesus through Mary a virgin in a humble manger. God's thoughts are not your thoughts. They are higher. May you have access to God's wisdom.

IN 2024, YOU WILL WALK IN DIVINE WISDOM. NOT THE WISDOM OF THE WORLD OR THE DEVIL OR FROM YOUR EDUCATION. BUT GOD'S WISDOM.

The wisdom of the Holy Spirit! 

The mother of Moses left him afloat in the river Nile. He was supposed to be a Ruler. She let go of him. Don't keep holding on to it. Let go of it. That’s wisdom. The child swimming in the river Nile reached the palace, how much more will you who is saved by the river of the Holy Spirit. God can take you and your generations to great heights.

Christ is my wisdom. 

MYSTERY 3 – The Gospel of Jesus Christ

Romans 16:25- 25 [a]Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began 26 but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith— 

The gospel of Jesus Christ is a mystery. 

Ephesians 6 refers to the mystery of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus saves sinners, Jesus fills his church in the Holy Spirit, and Jesus will come back again, on the clouds.

The King is coming. The church is then the outcome of the shedding of the blood of Jesus on the Cross. 

I am free from the power of the devil. He crushed the head of the devil on the Cross. My deliverance, my breakthrough and my curse being broken is because he died between two robbers and set him free.

The church is the outcome of his death on the Cross. I am the outcome of His death on the Cross. I am free from the bondage of evil because of Jesus' death on the Cross. The outcome is that I am free by the Blood of Jesus.

This Jesus came into our lives and blessed us. This is a mystery. The Gospel is a mystery. The tomb is empty and Jesus came to save us! 

MYSTERY 4– The Will of God

Ephesians 1:9- 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 

The mystery of His will.

Romans.12:1-2- 12 I beseech[a] you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your [b]reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. 

Renew your mind. God puts new wine in new wineskins. Surrender to God's will. The mystery of His will be revealed. You need to surrender your body, renew your mind and surrender to His will. If you do so, you will see His will unfold over your family, business, life and your children. May that grace flow upon your life to do so. His will shall guide you in all the decisions- Who should you marry, who shouldn’t you marry? Where you should do business and where you shouldn’t do business; where you should invest and where not to invest etc. May the Lord grant you that wisdom.

Renew your mind, the Holy spirit will show you Gods will. Once you know His will, submit to it.

MYSTERY 5– The Mystery of Christ and the Church

Ephesians 5:32- 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. 

The mystery of the bride and the bridegroom. The Lord and His church are one. We, the church are the body of Christ. One with Him! Our head is not in Antioch or Jerusalem but our Head is at the Right hand of the Father, our Lord Jesus. We are ONE! 

In Mathew 27:59- 59 Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth 

Joseph of Arimathea goes and asks of the body of Jesus after Jesus dies. He takes the naked body of Christ and covers it. 

We have weaknesses and insufficiencies in ourselves. we are naked, we have some insufficiencies. We need to cover this. We need to cover the weaknesses. Don't expose it. The nakedness of Jesus' body was covered by Joseph.

You need to cover them publicly and correct them secretly! That’s what pastor does. 

The Body of Christ has many denominations and it has all kinds of people, from all kinds of cultures. There are weaknesses. Don’t call them out. Don’t put the weaknesses out on social media. Cover them publicly and correct them secretly. 

This is a mystery. Look after the body of Christ. If you do so, God will take you to the next level of ministry. Those who cover the church in prayer will be blessed by the Lord. 

A man was looking for a perfect church. He finally found a perfect church and he tried to enter it but he was stopped and refused entry. He was told, “Sorry, you cannot enter here, because this is a perfect church and you are still imperfect!” There is no such thing as a perfect church. Stay rooted wherever God has placed you. Pray for your church and the pastor. Cover up its nakedness.

The church and Jesus are one. This is a mystery. When you say I won't go to church, you are saying that I don't like Christ because Christ and church are one.

Jesus met with Saul in an encounter while he was persecuting the church and said, “Saul, Saul why do you persecute ME?” HE was trying you say, you may be persecuting the church, but I am hurt! 

Ask God for forgiveness if you have made a mistake in that area. If you have spoken ill of a pastor or a church, ask God to forgive you. 

MYSTERY 6– The Mystery of the Rapture

1 Corinthians 15:51-62- Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 

The Lord will come again in the clouds. The Holy Spirit will take the church to the other side. 

In the Old Testament, the Lord took Enoch and Elijah up. In the New Testament, Philip was taken up to a place called Azotus. However, we are waiting for the time our King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ who will come in the clouds to take us back. This is not a fable or a tale. This is the truth written by the Holy Spirit. May the Lord give you a revelation of this and may you know this truth deep within! That day, you will be changed in the twinkling of an eye. 

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO TO BE IN CHRIST? 

You need to believe that Jesus died for you and that He rose again on the third day, and he forgave all your sins with His blood. 

You need to get into the waters of baptism and surrender yourself to live fully for Jesus. 

Then the Holy Spirit of God will fill you and transform you. He will tug your heart when the trumpet call of God will be sounded and take you up. 

The same Spirit that rose Christ Jesus from the dead will rise you up and you will be caught up MYSTERY 7– Christ is your Mystery

Christ is your mystery. No other name on the earth above and below by which you can be saved but by the Name of Jesus. Belong to this Jesus. When you accept Jesus. Jews were blinded. Religions are blinded from this truth. They're busy with all the religious activities and trying to please God but they don’t know Christ but if you know Jesus, the son of God there is no condemnation for you. Make Jesus your own. Then you are His Boyd. If yes,

MYSTERY 8– The Mystery of Godliness

1 Timothy 3:16- And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. 

Mystery of godliness. God was manifested in the flesh. We have heard in English that cleanliness is next to godliness. but Cleanliness is outside. Godliness is inside. 

What is Godliness? It is God manifesting in the flesh. It is Jesus manifesting in this body. Paul says, “Christ will be magnified in my body”. 

Peter and John said, I don’t have gold and silver but in the name of Jesus, stand up and walk. May God be manifested in your body. May you see miraculous healings in Jesus Name.

May His presence manifest in your body.

IN THE 12TH MONTH, MAY YOUR BODY BE THE ONE WHERE CHRIST MANIFESTS.