Eagle Mountain Assembly of God

Sermon Outline –01/22/12

WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE?  MATTHEW4:17

So how are you doing with John 14:12 this week?

Perhaps part of you believes it to be true, but there arestill some doubts . . .

When it comes to miracles and thepower of God at work today, what do you believe? 

“Jury is stillout” 

“God doesn’t dothat anymore”

“I’ve seen toomany fakes”

 “Sickness is just the way of this world” 

“Healing is whathappens in heaven”

“I believe – tell me more!!”

Matthew 4:17 – Jesus: “Repent,for the Kingdom of heaven is near.”

So let’s break this down: 

“Repent” – in essence means “about face”to go the other way;  To change the way

you think

“the Kingdom of heaven” – it is the“King’s domain” – God’s dominion is in effect

NOW!

“Near” is not a time word, doesn’t mean“coming soon” – it speaks of proximity as

in it is rightin front of you, available to you now; “at hand” (KJV)

All the benefits of the King’sDomain are available to us in Jesus, but unbelief will keep us

from realizing everything thatGod has for us!

Three MISBELIEFS that can hold us back from receiving and operating inmiracle

power:  Suffering, the SecondComing, and Shame

1. SUFFERING

Somewhere along the way sufferinghas become “sanctified”

Can sickness or disease be a“cross” that someone bears to bring glory to God?

Matt. 16:24:  Notice that the first step in this process isto “deny himself” – the second step is

to take up the cross and followJesus

The cross anyone bears for Jesusis always voluntary – if it were mandatory there would be

no “denying” of one’s self

Obviously Satan in his attempt toseparate us from God (our power source) wants us to

believe that our Father God putsickness and disease on his children(soundslike abuse!?)

If sickness and disease has adivine purpose then we are working at odds with God’s

purposes when we see a Dr. orcare for our own health and comfort

We need to tear down thestrongholds of misbelief that keep us separated from the power of

God!  (2 Cor. 10:4,5)

2. SECOND COMING

The misbelief here is not in thesecond coming, but what we believe about the Church and its

work in the time of the end

In Matt. 16:18,19 we see Jesus,speaking to Peter, about how the Church will prevail over the

gates of hell and that we havepower on earth to bind and loose

Rather than shrinking back fromthe darkness and praying passionately for Jesus to return

soon, we should instead beaggressively looking for ways to advance the Kingdom

We are not victims waiting to berescued, but overcomers commissioned by Jesus to change

our world!!

Our lost world needs to see thepower of God on display through his Church as we advance

the Kingdom, preaching anddemonstrating the power of God (I Cor. 2:4,5)

3. SHAME

Between stimulus and responsethere is a gap;  What is in the gap?  What you believe

If you get a sickness or disease,and you believe that sickness is judgment or condemnation

for your sin, the response willbe shame

Many of God’s people suffersilently and needlessly because they are ashamed of their

sickness – is especially trueconcerning mental illness

Sickness and disease is an attackof the enemy against you, but Jesus came to destroy the

devil’s work – believe it!

We never see Jesus asking anyoneif there was sin in their lives before he healed them!

And if Jesus healed unbelievers(and he did), then how much more likely is it for a believing

child of God to receive amiracle?

So back to where we started:  “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heavenis near”

In order to operate in theKingdom power and authority that is ours in Jesus, we must repent

of our misbeliefs and startagreeing with God’s Word

Truth:

Suffering withsickness and disease does not have a divine purpose

The SecondComing should motivate us to be more aggressive in advancing the

Kingdom

Having asickness or disease, even a mental illness, is no reason for shame but is

rather anopportunity for the glory of God to be revealed (John 9:3)