Series: Towards the Full Stature, Your calling in life
Sun am 24th September 2017 – Kobus Swart
Jonah 1:1-17; Jonah: 2:1-9; (Matt. 12:40); Jonah 3:1-6, 10; Jonah 4:1-11; Acts 27; (Rom. 8:19-21, 28); Mark 6:45-52; (Col. 1:27); (Isa. 4)
This morning I want to talk to you about the storms that come into our lives, and how to deal with the storms that you and I face. Firstly you have to identity the storm in your life; you could be carrying a storm on the inside. How do we deal with it?
We will look at the book of Jonah. There is a masterplan for every person who is born on the planet. Here comes God with a direct word and plan, defining Jonah’s calling and ministry (Jonah 1:2). It was a commission, but how did Jonah respond? But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord (vs. 4). What does ‘Tarshish’ mean? It is an exotic place, it talks about adventure, a distance paradise and Jonah had enough money to pay for his self-will. One of the worst things we can become is obedient to self-will. How does that manifest in our lives? God calls you, commissions you to a specific task and direction, but you chose to go the other way. Often we will then face the following: The Lord hurled a great wind on the sea and there was a great storm on the sea so that the ship was about to break up (vs. 4). Storms come into our lives and we eventually have to face the issues head-on. Jonah was ready to die rather than returning to God and admitting that he missed his calling. It takes a while sometimes for us to find out and get the word, understand the message and reconnect with the plan of God. His trip to this ‘paradise island’ was ended, but his calling was saved. God was not finished with Jonah. Read to verse 17.
Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the stomach of the fish … (Jonah 2:1-9). Jonah’s prayer came from his meditations in the Psalms (Ps. 18:6; Ps. 120:1; Ps. 18, Ps. 42; Ps. 139; Ps. 5; Ps. 69; Ps. 30; Ps. 142). What does it mean to be in the belly of the fish? It is a place of confinement; it is a restricted place; a place where God has you and you cannot run away. Even Jesus referred to Jonah (Matt. 12:40). It is a true story! If you read it through the eyes of Jesus, it means death to self; death to self-will. God has you in a corner because you ran away from your original calling. Think about this and take it personally. “God, am I on course with Your master plan for me?” It may seem like the end of life, the end of hope, but what it really is, is the end of religion; the end of your religious excuses. “Jonah in the belly of the fish, Jesus in the tomb; confinement turns into concentration; illusion into hope; death changes to resurrection. Tarshish, a glamorous career in religion is no proper destination for any pastor” (Eugene Peterson). When you are stuck on your way to ‘Tarshish’, you are going to find out the truth and maybe not in a very pleasant way.
Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you.” So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord (Jonah 3:1-3). As a result the whole city repented and was saved from their wickedness. When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it (Jonah 3:10). Amazing what repentance can do, it can even change what God had in mind. Instead of Jonah rejoicing, it greatly displeased him (Jonah 4). How far can religious selfishness go?
See how God is in charge of creation, in charge of storms and wind (Jonah 4: 7-8).There are other incidents in the New Testament of people in a boat and storms hit them (Note Paul in Acts 27). Everyone on the boat was saved; nobody perished. God turns everything for good for those who love Him and are called according to his purpose (Rom. 8:28).
When Jesus was asleep in a boat when the storm arose, the disciples were in a panic and they woke Jesus up. Because He had peace on the inside, He just had to say, “Peace be still.” Immediately the storm subsided. Take this as a key. You can only rule over the storm in which you can sleep peacefully.
Then when the disciples were in the boat but Jesus was not in the boat, the storm ceased only when Jesus stepped into the boat (Mark 6:45-52). This creation of God is reacting. It may increase because all creation is in travail waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God (Rom. 8:19-21). We are going to see the signs increase in intensity and maybe see signs we have never heard of or seen before. The ‘boat’, in this case, refers to the Church, but the Church needs to find Jesus in the boat – in other words, Christ within; the hope of glory (Col. 1:27). Christ within will calm the storm on the outside. He must be in your ‘boat’; personally and corporately. Christ must be manifested worldwide in the ‘boat’. Creation is waiting expectantly for the manifestation of the Son in the sons. This message has to go out. It is not about conferences or shows or nice programs, it is about Him in the ‘boat’. Then the storms will stop. There will be a new heavens and a new earth. We do not yet fully know what that means. God is going to make all things new. He is going to clean the planet of all the mess and corruption. Isa. 4 is about the spirit of burning that is going to clean the earth.
THE FULL STATURE
(According to the Pattern!)
Series: Feast of Tabernacles 2009; Towards the Full Corporate Stature.
Sun am 18 October 2009 – Alexander Chisango
Eph. 5:27; Heb. 1:3; Josh. 5:13-14; Acts 2:1;
Acts 1:12-26; Matt. 3:13-17;
Acts 2:42; Acts 6:2-4; Ex. 4:27-28; 1 Kings 18:30-39;
Ps. 126:5-6; Col. 3:16-17; Ps. 110: 1-2; Hab. 2:14
We neglect some of the things that God reveals to some of us, and do so at our own peril. The generation that lived during the time of Noah neglected his pointing in a direction at their own peril. Noah was talking complete nonsense to the minds of men, but they had to ask this one question: “Why does this man not stop?”
God has given Kobus the revelation of Tabernacles 35 years ago, and he is ready to continue obediently, with or without popular support. (more…)
Series: Towards the Full Corporate Stature
Sun am 27 September 2009 – Kobus Swart
Acts 18:23 to 19:10; Acts 17:22-31; John 17:20-21; 2 Cor. 5:16;
(John 14:16); (Eph. 4:11-13)
Apollos was mighty in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the ways of the Lord; he was fervent in spirit and was teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus. Nevertheless, Apollos needed an upgrade because he was only acquainted with the baptism of John; he did not know about the Holy Spirit. He was speaking from the previous season. When John the Baptist proclaimed, “There is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”, he should have closed his ministry and joined the new season, but he didn’t and eventually lost his head. (more…)
Series: Towards the Corporate Full Stature
Sun am – 20 September 2009
Kobus Swart
Luke 4:1-12; (John 5:39); Matthew 3:13-17; Hebrews 2:10; (Hebrews 10:13); (Romans 8:19); John 7:14; 2 John 7; James 2:19; 1 Cor. 12:12; (2 Cor. 5:16); 1 John 4:17; John 16:16; John 14:12.
Everything Jesus did as the first fruits or older brother modelled something for the sons to follow (Heb.2:10; Rom 8:29; Jn 17:18). While it is true that He died to redeem fallen man, Father’s plan included more than that. Jesus came as the pattern Son, pioneering the way in which the sons are going to follow. Jesus was the Word made flesh. In the same way, the Word must become flesh in the many-membered Body of Christ. The Spirit of the anti-Christ is fighting this truth with all he can. Satan’s biggest threat is coming from those in whom the Word has become flesh! The sons will make His enemies His footstool. Too many Christians are waiting for God to do something but He is waiting for the Church to do something (Heb 10:13). (more…)
Series : Towards the Full Corporate Stature; Creativity
Sun am 13 September 2009 – Kobus and Hazel Swart
Hazel: John 12:24-25 (Message); (1 John 4: 18); (Gen. 1:2)
Kobus: (Gen. 3:17-19); (2 Peter 1:12); Eph. 4:7 (Ampl); Eph. 4:11(NASB);
Eph. 4:12-16 (Ampl); 2 Peter 1:2-4 Message); (Matt. 6:18)
Hazel: We serve a creative God and the gifts He has given us are to be given back to Him to glorify Him. To live the creative life, we have to lose the fear of being wrong. The Scripture says that perfect love casts out all fear. God will catch you, there’s a net for you, don’t be afraid to take that step of faith and let your imagination go. Use that imagination, that’s why God gave it to you.
In every word there is a balance. We can ask what we wish but the key is to be abiding in Him. Creativity never ever grows in strife. Creativity is birthed in mystery, it is like giving birth to something, a baby is formed in the womb; a seed grows and is born almost in darkness. (more…)
Series: Towards the Full Corporate Stature
Sun am 6th September 2009 – Kobus and Hazel Swart
(Gen. 1:1, 27-28); John 15:1-12; (Jer. 15: ); (Isa. 50:4); Ps. 23:1-6 – Message Bible
Ex. 31:1-5; Dan. 11:32; (Gen. 31:10-12); Ex. 35:30; Zech. 1:18-21;
(2 Cor. 4:7); (Acts 6:1-4); (Matt. 6:28); (Titus 1:15)
Hazel: We have been created in the image of God, the great Creator. Because we have been programmed by the world, we are only living a fraction of the life God has called us to live. The greatest joy we can bring to our heavenly Father is to give back the creativity He has put within our hearts. We don’t realize how many blockages we have in our lives. Every now again there is this surge of “Oh, I wish, I long for …” Who put the dream deep down in your heart? The Lord is saying, “I want you to be like Me; I want to unearth the things that are within you that belong to Me, the gifts that I put within you…. I want the world to see Me, not just within four walls on a Sunday morning. I want the world to be touched by Me.” (more…)
Series: Towards the Full Corporate Stature
Sunday am 30 August 2009 – Kobus Swart
Matt. 11:27-30; Gal. 2:16-21; Gal. 3:1-3, 13-14; Gal. 4:17;
Gal. 5:1-5, 13-26; Gal. 6:1 [All Scriptures are from the Message Bible]
Read the introduction to Galatians in the Message Bible
There is a cry in the heart of the Father to see the whole purpose of redemption – in fact, His original intention for man – come to full fruition.
We are like clay pots. This treasure (new divine nature – 2 Pet 1:4) is in an earthen vessel. Every “clay pot” looks different, but inside is a treasure. Like a plant, this divine nature needs a specific environment or climate to grow freely. Religiosity contaminates any environment. Creative Christianity – an environment which is conducive to spiritual growth – is what is needed, not religious Christianity. (more…)
BREAKING THE ESCAPIST MENTALITY
(EMBRACING GOD’S ULTIMATE INTENTION)
Series: Towards The Full Corporate Stature
Sun 16 August 2009 – Kobus Swart
Gen. 19:1-26; Jude 1:5; Ex. 5:1-3; 1 John 1:12-14; Gen. 4:26; Eph. 1:3-14; John 1:14 (Msg); John 17:13-21; Gal. 4:5-6; John 14:9; John 5:19; Col. 2:9
The redeemed community consists of those who have been saved. They have been born again or born from above. Paul describes this experience as follows: “… if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved…” (Rom 10:9). The vast majority of believers, however, have not yet fully embraced the purpose of their new status as a “saved” people. They are just happy in the knowledge that they have been saved from going to hell!
This boils down to an “escapist mentality”: (more…)
Series : Visiting Speakers, Towards the Full Corporate Stature
Sun 9 August 2009 – Frans du Plessis
2 Cor. 5:15-17; Gen. 22:15-17; (Gal. 3:16)
An ambassador is a representative; he has given up his rights – including the right to his own opinion. Jesus said, “I don’t do anything unless I see my Father do it.” (John5: 19)
This apostolic season is not about a hierarchy, or titles. It is about giving up our lives to see Christ formed in a people. The task of this season is to bring Christ, who is planted in us as a seed, to full stature. It is to see Christ – this glorious representation of God Almighty – formed within the Corporate Man, a corporate Body.
Series: Towards the Full Corporate Stature; Finished Works
Sun am 2nd August 2009 – Kobus Swart
Heb. 9:8; Acts 15:17; 1 John 1:5 to 1 John 2:2; (Col. 1:13); Heb. 10:26-29;
1 Cor. 5:17; Rom. 6:1-11; (Heb. 9:26); Heb. 10:14; Rom. 8:31-39 (Message Bible)
When Jesus came, the outer court of the Tabernacle of Moses fell away and is not even mentioned in Hebrews 9. The old priesthood became redundant because the once-for-all Sacrifice has come. The problem with dispensationalism is the re-institution of sacrifices in the so-called millennium which would nullify the once-for-all Sacrifice. What an insult to the finished works of Christ!
In the Old Testament, the third court in the Tabernacle of Moses only contained the Ark of the Covenant. But if you read Hebrews 9, (more…)