140. A Seed Must Die to Multiply by David Grams

139. The Value Of The Word by David Grams

By the Holy Spirit, God has made every one of His children into kings and priests. We exercise His authority over creation, serve as ambassadors of His and ministers of reconciliation as priests, and we live as His mouthpiece by the gift of prophecy. More than anything, we should endeavor to love everyone around us, and the gifts of the Spirit will follow us to enhance our love with the miraculous. Tongues do have a purpose in the present church, a purpose which is often misunderstood. Every gift of the Spirit is to be used with humility, self-control, and submission to authority in the church.

The goal of the Valiant Church is to raise up people who will be those shepherds who leave the 99—the flock of mainstream Christianity—to rescue wayward lambs from the mouths of the lions...the victims of human trafficking, drug and alcohol abuse, prostitution, gang activity, and witchcraft. The goal is to be those mighty men of valor who search out and destroy the remaining giants in the land—those evils that have bred spiritual corruption and dysfunction in the church and in culture. Every member of Valiant Church we will train to be one of these shepherds and one of these mighty men.

The Bible outlines for the church of Jesus Christ that every member of the body should be given permission to speak under inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The world will be convinced and convicted when all Christians are functioning by the power of the Holy Spirit. Let's not confine God to the limits of our church traditions and start giving the control to the Spirit and not to the clergy. God prefers the vitality of fallible people over the deadness of a religious liturgy.

As Christians who've been influenced by 1700 years of religious tradition, starting with emperor Constantine, we've forgotten that what we know as "church" didn't actually exist in the days of the apostles. Church wasn't something you went to; it was something you were. We've found it difficult to imagine God moving outside of the boundaries of our common church practices. God actually wants to move most outside of our buildings and through His people as a living church of Christ--the body of Christ. No one will find the fullness of God's power in church, but rather, by being the church to the world. Let's not reject revival for fear of losing our beloved traditions!

The heart of evangelism is the call to every disciple of Christ to care for and watch over their own flock of disciples. If we all were diligent to nurture those few entrusted to our care, our culture would be transformed. God doesn't want us all to be instructors of doctrine; He wants us to be fathers of the little ones who need nourishment. The fruit we produce to reveal that we are truly abiding in Christ is a balance of both His character and His active love for people. We will produce fruit of disciples if we are truly His disciples. A voiceless faith is a dead faith. Pure faith in Christ is to keep oneself unspotted from the world and to care for orphans and widows in their distress.

There are three primary purposes for physical healing explained in this sermon, after which you will know that if God is responsible for keeping someone sick, He would be a liar, as His Word tells us that sickness is from the devil, and Jesus came to "destroy the works of the devil." Also, healing is for everyone, and the only condition God places on being healed is being sick. If you're sick, Jesus says He came to heal you. Healing fulfills the prophecies about the Messiah's life.

Jesus came also to empower every one of His disciples to heal the sick and cast out demons. It is in our hands to uproot any unbelief in our hearts and receive His commission to pray for the sick and hurting, that they might be healed. Our faith is the decisive factor. Miracles are not for our assurance, but for the purpose of loving those around us.

True sonship is being free from dependence on man for support and assurance. Jesus knew the hearts of men, that they were flawed and ultimately an unreliable source of security. So, Jesus demonstrated true relationship with God by depending solely on the guidance of support of the Father. Jesus from absorbed in His intimacy with the Father, and that's all that He ever needed. He didn't need a human support group, and He was never offended by the abandonment or betrayal of people. Why? Because His contentment was never committed into the hands of fallible people.

This is the foundation of all faith, peace, and joy.

In addition, introduced in this sermon are basic principles of healing ministry...healing was paid for on the cross and therefore, we are ministers of healing just as we are preachers of the cross and resurrection of Christ. It is always God's will to heal the sick, just as it is always His will to save the lost; as, both were paid for in the moment of Christ's crucifixion.

131. Evangelism Series - Part 7: Foundation of Sonship by David Grams