So glad we can be together

Jeremiah 23:23 “Am I only a God nearby,” declares the Lord, “and not a God far away? 24 Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?” declares the Lord. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord. - (NIV)

Genesis 16:8 And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered. 9 Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” 10 The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.” - (NIV)

Psalms 32:1 Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 2 Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit. - (NIV)

The God who Sees

1. Growth, a mark of migration

2. Hagar: Rediscovering the God who sees

3. End the pretending

4. Watch out for the unmapped darkness

5. How God sees you matters

Welcome to church! COME INTO HIS HOUSE | Dissecting the two kinds of Wisdom James 3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. - (NIV) James 3:17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. - (NIV)

Dissecting the two kinds of Wisdom

1. Who is wise among you - shown by how they live

2. The manifestation of earthly wisdom

3. Heavenly wisdom and the Holy Spirit

4. The practice of wisdom in conflict

5. Accessing the hidden treasure of wisdom

Implications of God's gift of righteousness by Pastor Victor Tembo

Psalm 37:23-24 “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He

delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble,

they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.”

Matthew 4:1-3 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wil-

derness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days

and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him

and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to be-

come bread.”

Jeremiah 6:16 Thus says the Lord: “Stand by the roads, and

look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is;

and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We

will not walk in it.’

Are Your Steps Directed by God?

1. The Lord directs the steps of the godly - are you godly?

2. He delights in every detail of their lives - assess yourself

3. Though they stumble, they will never fall

4. Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness

5. Ask where the good way is; and walk in it

Welcome to church! Appreciate the multiplication principle How good and pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unit! Genesis 1:28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” 29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. - (NIV)

Genesis 17:3 Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, 4 “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. 5 No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. 7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.

Appreciate the multiplication principle

1. Out of a vast universe God chose Planet Earth

2. Daily Earth is witnessing unprecedented growth

3. God called Abram to make him father of nations

4. Jesus called himself the seed that would multiply

5. Jesus sent us into the world to build His Church

Proverbs 3:1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my

commands in your heart, 2 for they will prolong your life many

years and bring you prosperity. 3 Let love and faithfulness never

leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of

your heart. 4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight

of God and man. 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean

not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge

him, and he will make your paths straight. - (NIV84)

Psalms 103:2 Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his

benefits— 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and

compassion, 5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that

your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. - (NIV84)

We ‘re engraved in the palms of His hands

1. God’s children must not forget the Word of God

2. He Word prolongs our life and brings prosperity

3. Do not forget His benefits: He lives and rewards

4. No sparrow is forgotten by God, neither are you

5. Let your past not hinder the NEW God is doing

Numbers 33:1 These are the journeys of the children of Israel,

who went out of the land of Egypt by their armies under the hand

of Moses and Aaron. 2 Now Moses wrote down the starting points

of their journeys at the command of the LORD. And these are their

journeys according to their starting points: 3 They departed from

Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month;

on the day after the Passover the children of Israel went out with

boldness in the sight of all the Egyptians. - (NKJV)

Psalms 34:5 Those who look to him for help will be radiant

with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. 6 In my

desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all

my troubles. 7 For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds

and defends all who fear him. 8 Taste and see that the Lord is

good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!

Progression to new elevations in Christ

1. The time of Israel’s slavery had come to an end

2. God sent them onto a journey of transformation

3. Accompanied by a spiritual rock that was Christ

4. God increasingly reveals Himself to His people

5. Pay attention to the cloud of the presence of God

Welcome to church!

How good and pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unit!

Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. - (NIV84)

Philippians 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. - (NIV84)

2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. - (NIV84) Proverbs 2:6 For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. - (NIV84)

The Source of All Resource

1. All that exists has evolved from a single source

2. Planet Earth is full of nearly unlimited resource

3. God supplies all our needs through Jesus Christ

4. In Christ all questions will find adequate answers

5. He sustains all of creation by His powerful Wor

Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord

of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from

the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes,

Father, for this was your good pleasure. 27 “All things have been

committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the

Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to

whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 “Come to me, all you

who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take

my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble

in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is

easy and my burden is light.” - (NIV84)

1 John 5:20 We know also that the Son of God has come and

has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true.

And we are in him who is true—even in his Son Jesus Christ. He

is the true God and eternal life.

Invitation for transformation

1. Jesus faces unpleasant realities as He is rejected

2. Jesus gives thanks to the Father for His followers

3. The Father reveals divine secrets to little children

4. Jesus invites to take up His yoke & learn from Him

5. He deals with our burden and leads us to true rest

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. - (NIV84)

John 17:5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. - (NIV84)

Psalms 16:11 You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. - (NIV84)

The joy set before Jesus

1. Glory and joy are reality in the presence of God

2. Christ was sent to restore what’s lost through sin

3. Jesus kept His eyes on fulfilling the plan of God

4. Learning to fix our eyes on Jesus, He’s our destiny

5. The joy of our Lord is bringing God’s family home