Summary of the preaching
Sunday, December 24th 2023 – Apostle Billey.
Every person is created by God. And God has given us the will, the ability to speak…
I can’t see God physically, but I can hear what he says -I can accept what he says or not.
The relationship can only begin when I receive what this God says.
When a person accepts the Word, he becomes a child of God.
** What is Christmas? What is the birth of the Lord Jesus?
It’s the coming of the word for us.
When we celebrate Christmas, we celebrate the visitation of God.
Jesus was born great in spirit. It was his body that was baby, but he himself was already big.
For Jesus is the Word. It speaks, but has no body.
It was because he had to come into this world that he took on a body. And it was this body that was born of Mary, but the spirit that was in this body was already great.
Jesus isn’t a baby – He was big – He came big and He went big.
It’s not the physical aspect that’s important, it’s the spiritual aspect.
Christmas is the visitation of God through his word.
Jesus came out of love to save us.
John 3.16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
* How to believe?
It’s by receiving the word.
Our faith is not based on the body, but on what’s inside – the spirit.
That’s why we don’t see Jesus with images, but with the Word.
So all who receive God’s word are saved.
Christmas has nothing to do with the birth of a baby or an image of a baby in a woman’s hands.
The one we call baby was there before the foundation of the world. It can therefore under no circumstances be a baby.
Christmas is all about the Word. Jesus is the word, and this word must be found and accepted in our hearts.
Beloved, consider this carefully:
Matthew 13.
He spoke to them in parables about many things, and said:
4 A sower went out to sow. As he sowed, some of the seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it.
5 Another part fell into the stony places, where it had not much soil: it rose at once, because it did not find deep soil;
6 but when the sun came out, it was scorched and dried up for lack of roots.
7 Another part fell among the thorns: the thorns grew up and choked it.
8 Another part fell on good soil: it bore fruit, one grain a hundred, another sixty, another thirty.
9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
We can see several groups of people here.
Brothers, we must be careful with our words. At Christmas, God came with the Word.
Jesus explains this parable to us:
Matthew 13.
18 Listen, then, to the meaning of the parable of the sower.
19 When a man hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and takes away what has been sown in his heart: that man is the one who received the seed along the way.
20 The one who received the seed in stony places is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;
21 but it has no roots in itself, it lacks persistence, and, as soon as tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, it finds in it an occasion to fall.
22 The one who received the seed among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but in whom the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke that word, and make it unfruitful.
23 He who receives the seed in the good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it; he bears fruit, and one grain yields a hundred, another sixty, another thirty.
** In the first group of people :
Mat13.19 When a man hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and takes away what has been sown in his heart: this man is the one who received the seed along the way.
The word is heard, but not understood, and when the word is not understood – the devil steals and there is no change in the person.
It’s very important to understand what God is saying to us.
Why did the word fall on the path?
That’s because this group of people has a hard heart.
The word comes, but the person doesn’t feel concerned, it’s as if it’s not them the word is addressed to – so the word won’t enter and the enemy will take it easily.
The enemy is a thief, and when he comes, it’s to steal.
John 10.10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.
It’s the Christian’s responsibility to know what God is saying and where God wants him to go.
So the hard heart can’t keep its word.
** In the 2nd group of people :
Matthew 13.
20 The one who received the seed in stony places is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;
21 but it has no roots in itself, it lacks persistence, and, as soon as tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, it finds in it an occasion to fall.
The word is received with joy – and that’s a good thing – but they lack persistence.
There is no root in them because there is no persistence.
Persistence allows the word to take root in the Christian’s life.
So when there’s a persecution, i.e. a difficult situation, bad news, things not going the way the person wants, a flat tire on the way to work…the word disappears in the person’s heart – discouragement takes its place.
What’s the cause?
Lack of persistence.
As a result, the person becomes weak, because the word is not rooted in them.
Beloved, we must persist so that the word takes root. And the problems won’t tell us anything.
You may hear a contrary voice urging you to give up, the enemy may suggest other things to do… But don’t listen.
The word you received in church, which gave you joy, don’t lose that, keep practicing.
You have to get up very early in the morning to keep going, stay up late at night to keep going, get your family together to keep going…
When you pray for a problem, keep praying. Knock and the door will open.
Very often, when it comes to going to work, we persist. Even when it snows, we go to work, so how can we not persist for eternal life?
Let’s stop being manipulated by the spirit of this world.
A Christian must be firm. He must learn not to let himself be manipulated. Persistence is the character of those who have the word in them.
Therefore, persistence is necessary, because there is bound to be persecution for everyone.
But the good news for those who have the word: the more they are persecuted, the stronger they become.
** The 3rd group of people
Mat 13.22 The one who received the seed among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but in whom the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and make it unfruitful.
Why can’t some people keep their word, or what is given as their word, they can’t keep?
It’s because of the worries, the negative thoughts, the love of the world that fill their hearts instead of having the word. Or it’s marriage, money, a good career, finding money… that’s their priority.
At home; they don’t manage to practice, don’t manage to pray or their prayer is very short-lived.
So the person can’t prosper – the seed can’t bear fruit.
– How do we know if the love of the world is in our hearts?
It’s easy to find out – ask yourself this question: is speech your priority?
Evaluate whether you’re evolving and how fast you’re evolving.
This speed will determine the quality of your speech. And the quality of that word is determined by your determination to keep it or not.
Look at your life, your faults and judge yourself.
He who has worries in his heart. God isn’t his priority, so he won’t be able to pray.
For tomorrow to be better, we have to accept what comes from God.
Crying in the face of difficulties means nothing, getting angry means nothing…
What changes things, what touches God, is when we receive his word.
Success without God is not success.
What should be done?
So we need to bring the word back into ourselves.
The Lord says in
1 Peter 5.7 Cast all your cares on him, for he cares for you.
How can we unburden ourselves to the Lord?
Quite simply, by talking to him about it. As we talk to the Lord about our situations, we are unloading on him.
However, if the enemy manages to manipulate your thoughts by making you believe that God won’t listen to you, and pushing you to think more about your problems than about God.
If this happens to you, you need to get up and bring your eyes back to God’s word. That’s how you’ll win.
** The 4th group of people :
Mat 13.23 He who receives the seed in the good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it; he bears fruit, and one grain yields a hundred, another sixty, another thirty.
This group of people produces the fruit.
We see that we must not only receive the word, but also understand it.
So someone can receive the word, but not understand it. And he who does not understand cannot practice this word – so his life cannot change.
He’ll consider himself a Christian, but that’s according to man, not God.
Jesus came to bring salvation. Our Redeemer has come, that’s what Christmas is all about.
How can I be saved?
By receiving the word in his heart.
Therefore, we must receive the word not in a thorny place, not in a rocky heart, but in a clean heart.
You have to remove lack of persistence, worries, worldly riches, unbelief…
Jesus came to redeem us so that we could belong to him.
Take this example: a person starts driving a car when he obtains his driver’s license. Which is proof that he’s understood everything he’s learned, that he’s mastered it.
He knows how the car works, the role of the gas pedal, the brake, the car’s power…
In the same way, understanding means mastering. So the word we receive, we must understand.
And he who understands the word, must practice it and when he practices – he will be victorious.
This is why Christians are born of God to be victorious.
Life with God isn’t a lottery, it’s a voluntary, firm decision to achieve what God wants us to achieve.
Life with God allows us to begin a relationship with God, and he is present.
God is on earth, He is in the atmosphere, He is present. It’s very easy to communicate with him, to get to know him and his reactions…
It’s very easy, you just have to decide to walk with him.
The world passes away, but the word of God will never pass away.
This world, money… will be burned, but the word cannot be burned.
Luke 21. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
The real gift is giving people a voice.
Which group of people do you belong to?
LET US PRAY →
Lord, you are God.
You are my God.
In the name of the word,
On this rock, I confess that Jesus is my Lord.
On this rock, I declare that Jesus is my Lord.
I am a winner.
I have the strength.
I’m more than a conqueror.
I have victory now and always.
In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.