WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.290 Let's read from the Book of Luke 9:51-56, 00:00:04.340 --> 00:00:12.120 "As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem; 00:00:12.137 --> 00:00:21.637 He sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, 00:00:21.637 --> 00:00:24.674 because He was heading for Jerusalem. 00:00:24.674 --> 00:00:36.037 When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven like Elijah did to destroy them?” 00:00:36.037 --> 00:00:44.866 But Jesus turned and rebuked them, "You don't know what spirit is leading you!" 00:00:44.866 --> 00:00:53.531 For the Son of man came not to destroy the souls of men but to save them, and they went into another village. 00:00:53.551 --> 00:01:05.111 We can see from this text, that if John and James were not genuinely following Jesus, for the same purpose and goals as Jesus, 00:01:05.111 --> 00:01:09.826 when this rebuke happened, they would have got offended and even renounced discipleship. 00:01:09.826 --> 00:01:18.066 If they were not honest and sincere with God, this rebuke would have exposed that they wanted power, fire, and do their own things. 00:01:18.066 --> 00:01:28.184 When the Lord rebukes us, He is doing so to remind us of our focus and calling and service that we have to do for Him. 00:01:28.184 --> 00:01:33.112 If your calling now is to do media-projection for the Kingdom then do it in the best way. 00:01:33.112 --> 00:01:37.474 If you are responsible with worship and praise for the Lord, then make sure you prepare yourself some hours, before you do the service, 00:01:37.474 --> 00:01:40.368 because the service is for the Lord not for men! 00:01:40.368 --> 00:01:46.061 The Lord looks and James and John and reminds them the purpose of their calling. 00:01:46.061 --> 00:01:54.208 "We didn't come to destroy men, we didn't come to make the people confused, we didn't come to give them another religion, 00:01:54.208 --> 00:01:58.432 but, we came to seek and find the lost and save them!" 00:01:58.432 --> 00:02:04.572 Why did James and John get offended in the first place and say, "Let us call fire from Heaven"? 00:02:04.639 --> 00:02:07.659 Because their Master was rejected into the villages of the Samaritans. 00:02:07.659 --> 00:02:10.066 What does this mean? 00:02:10.066 --> 00:02:16.607 This means that if James and John had focused on their assignment they would have not looked at rejection and the problem. 00:02:16.607 --> 00:02:19.387 Their focus was on what other were saying or doing towards them. 00:02:19.387 --> 00:02:28.840 When you have the wrong focus you will take a bad attitude; when the attitude is wrong then the prayers are wrong; 00:02:28.840 --> 00:02:32.453 and these expose your misbehavior and acting out of character. 00:02:32.453 --> 00:02:42.378 When you take your eyes from Jesus and from the purpose you have from Him, and give your attention to others thing then you derail. 00:02:42.442 --> 00:02:50.752 Let's also read from Genesis 4:4-6, "And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock, 00:02:50.752 --> 00:03:00.790 The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor, 00:03:00.816 --> 00:03:04.096 So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 00:03:04.096 --> 00:03:07.080 Oh, how patiently God is with us! 00:03:07.080 --> 00:03:09.778 ...and his face was downcast". 00:03:09.778 --> 00:03:15.123 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?" 00:03:15.264 --> 00:03:25.024 If you said, "Yes" to Jesus Christ, if you understood and found your place and received the grace to serve Him, 00:03:25.024 --> 00:03:33.907 then the work that you do for Him, do it as for God, not as for men! 00:03:33.907 --> 00:03:45.854 The sacrifice that you bring in the house of God is wise to be done according to His standard or else don't do it! 00:03:45.854 --> 00:03:54.599 Whether you worship, whether you preach, or whether you do social media make sure is done accordingly! 00:03:54.599 --> 00:03:58.986 God doesn't receive or need any second-hand sacrifices! 00:03:58.986 --> 00:04:08.041 Imagine someone coming at your place, to honour you for your birthday, 00:04:08.041 --> 00:04:15.705 and instead of bringing you something nice on which he spent himself and sacrificed, they bring you something cheap... 00:04:15.705 --> 00:04:21.175 How will your reaction be? It humiliates me you may say... 00:04:21.175 --> 00:04:27.274 Why God is lowered so much today at the standard of the flesh? 00:04:27.274 --> 00:04:37.035 And when a work is to be done for Him is better to not do it than to displease Him and draw a curse on us! 00:04:37.035 --> 00:04:45.525 Please, receive in good heart what I'm telling you, because the Almighty looks at the quality of your work and sacrifice! 00:04:45.525 --> 00:04:49.469 That's why He is rebuking us! 00:04:49.469 --> 00:04:59.600 For God Almighty, we are not called to do what everyone is doing, but what the best do! 00:04:59.871 --> 00:05:06.711 God didn't appreciate the sacrifice and the work of Cain! 00:05:06.711 --> 00:05:13.690 God is correcting and rebuking us to make us partakers of His divine holiness nature, 00:05:13.690 --> 00:05:17.460 by crushing our flesh with its desires! 00:05:17.460 --> 00:05:31.252 The Lord Jesus says in John 15:2, "He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, 00:05:31.252 --> 00:05:34.529 so that it will be even more fruitful. 00:05:34.529 --> 00:05:37.043 How do you think this pruning is being done? 00:05:37.043 --> 00:05:47.861 If we want to see God, we have to love this side of God also and understand that His corrections are not without purpose. 00:05:47.861 --> 00:05:53.959 He does not correct His people in order to humiliate them, 00:05:53.959 --> 00:06:06.077 but to partake them to His glory and holiness; so be ready to embrace the process 00:06:06.077 --> 00:06:15.551 where your character of flesh has to die, and the character of the new man in Christ has to arise! Amen? 00:06:15.551 --> 00:06:29.762 [ Music ]