Prepared for preaching at Pakistan
Translated by Pastor Ravi Daniel
3:30AM PST – 4:30PM Pakistan
25 – 35 minute sermon with translation
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, through whom we have received salvation by faith. This faith that we have is more powerful than the works of the LAW. It is more powerful, because by faith we have been transformed from servants of evil to servants of God. Jesus Christ begins to use as His hands and Feet. Through this, we are made white as snow.
Greetings to Pastor Ravi Daniel who has been chosen by God as a servant and elder of Miracle Presence Church. Many obstacles and problems come to those who serve God, but God has blessed Pastor Ravi Daniel with the joy of the Lord and continued work of spreading the gospel. May God bless Pastor Ravi Daniel with more joy, more blessings and more anointing of the Holy Spirit!
Greetings to Miracle Presence Church whom has been cleansed by the blood of the son of God, the perfect Lamb. Life isn’t easy, there are many temptations and obstacles that come our way. The LORD loves us, even when we fall, He picks us up. When the devil comes to attack us, the LORD Himself will protect us. May we love the LORD with all our heart, mind and soul. May this love cause us to not only believe, but also to give our lives as servants of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Gods’ message for today comes from Romans 14:18-19. I will read it for you, “Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then, let us pursue what makes for peace and mutual upbringing.”
Let us pray together.
Dear Heaven Father,
You are the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. You are seated on the throne, high and lifted up! We look to you for life and wisdom. We look to you for salvation and sanctification. Thank you for staying the same. Thank you for keeping your promises. As we grow as Christians, please transform us from who we were to who you want us to be. Please help us to serve you with all of our hearts as Jesus Christ your son has served you.
In the precious name of you son, Jesus Christ, we pray.
AMEN.
In the book of Exodus, the Israelites were under slavery in Egypt. They were under great persecution. All day long, they made bricks out of mud. They had no time to make sacrifices to God. God remembered the promise He made with Israel. He decided to use Moses to speak to Pharoah.
Moses and Aaron were sent to Pharoah.
Let’s say Moses words to Pharoah together, repeat after me, “Let my son go that he may serve me!”
Pharoah answered, “I don’t know your God, I will not let your people go.”
Moses and Aaron left, but God told them to go back.
Say Moses words with me, “Let my people go, that they may serve me, or I will bring a plague of frogs.”
Pharaoh saw the frogs and asked for mercy, but after the frogs went away, he didn’t let them go.
Moses and Aaron left, but God told them to go back.
Say Moses words with me, “Let my people go, that they may serve me, or else, I will send a swarm of flies on you and your people.
Pharaoh saw the flies and asked for mercy, but after the flies went away, he didn’t let them go.
Moses and Aaron left, but God told them to go back.
Say Moses words with me, “Let my people go, that they may serve me, or else, I will send a severe plague upon your livestock.”
Pharaoh saw all his own livestock die, but Israel livestock was alive. Pharaoh still didn’t let them go.
Moses and Aaron left, but God told them to go back.
Say Moses words with me, “Let my people go, that they may serve me, or else, I will send a plague on your people.”
Pharaoh saw his people die and asked for mercy, but after it stopped, he didn’t let them go.
Moses and Aaron left, but God told them to go back.
Say Moses words with me, “Let my people go, that they may serve me, or else, I will send locust on your land.”
Pharaoh saw the Locust and asked for mercy, but after they left, he didn’t let them go.
Moses and Aaron left, but God told them to go back.
Lastly, Say Moses word with me, “About midnight, every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from Pharoah to every slave to every cattle.”
Pharoah let the people go, that they may serve God.
In Exodus, the people were slaves of Egypt, but today, they are slaves to Sin.
Everyday, people are doing what sin wants them to do, they are stuck.
The Heavenly Father felt sad for them and sent his own son Jesus Christ to free them from sin.
Jesus Christ came with the gospel of the kingdom of God.
He freed us by dying on the cross for our sins.
We as believers of Jesus Christ, we have been freed by Jesus Christ.
Why did God send Jesus Christ to free us from the slavery of sin?
Does anyone remember Moses’ words?
Please say this with me, “Let my people go, that they may serve me.”
Please say this with me, “God freed me from sin, that I may serve him.”
Lets go back to our verse today, Romans 14:18-19
18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God
and approved by men.
This is the difference between someone who is a slave of sin and someone who have been freed by Jesus Christ. The slave of sin continues in sin. Those saved by Jesus Christ serve God!
18 Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him. (Mal. 3:18 ESV)
How do you know if you are a true believer of Jesus Christ?
Before you knew Jesus, you wanted to serve yourself.
Before you knew Jesus, you wanted to do what you wanted.
Now that you have faith in Jesus, you want to serve God.
Now that you have faith in Jesus, you want to do what God wants you to do!
This is why you are born again, you are no longer the same.
1 Peter 1:3 says, “Blessed by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
The reason why we serve God is because by faith, we have resurrected with Jesus Christ. We are no longer dead in our sins. Our sins have been forgiven and Christ’s righteousness becomes our own; We are living in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ in us.
How do you serve God then?
It’s very simple. Lets look at the next verse.
19 So then let us pursue what makes for
peace and for mutual upbuilding.
(Rom. 14:18-19 ESV)
How do you serve God?
Be a person of peace.
When there could be a fight, bring peace.
When there could be an argument, bring peace.
When we can be an opportunity for evil, bring peace.
When we can be a reason to be upset, bring peace.
When we can have revenge, bring peace.
When we can cause damage, bring peace.
Chose the route that would cause our church to be at peace and with mutual encouragement to be like Christ.
We show love.
We show peace.
We show patience.
We show kindness.
We show generosity.
We show faithfulness.
We show gentleness
We show self-control.
Not because it’s the easy way.
Not because it’s the fastest way.
It’s because it’s God’s way of transforming and sanctifying you.
When we show these things in our lives, in our family and in our church, We are building up the body of Christ. We are serving God. We are being who God wants us to be through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Therefore, remember, why God has freed us from the slavery of Sin. Remember Israel during their time in slavery under Egypt. There was a reason why God wanted to free us. It wasn’t simply so that we would be free, but free to do something. Free to serve God.
Please ask this question, “How does this happen?”
It happens to you and through you by the will of God and favor shown to you.
It’s both a grace and a work at the same time.
It’s works that only can be done through the grace of Jesus Christ.
This is a fruit of the spirit of Jesus Christ in you.
Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
Let us pray!
Dear Heavenly Father,
We thank you for your words that you have written down in the bible. We thank you that these words are for the purpose of teaching and correcting us. As we read about our brothers and sisters in their slavery under Egypt, we find that we are similar in our slavery to sin. Both of us weren’t able to serve you, because of our slavery. We thank you that you sent your Son, Jesus Christ, to free us from slavery that we may serve you in spirit and in truth. We pray for Miracle Presence Church! We pray for your blessing on this tree that it may bear good fruit. We pray so many good fruits to come from this church that people in the local neighborhood would know of what God is doing here. We love you Heavenly Father!
In the precious name of your son, Jesus Christ, we pray AMEN.