Sydney

Hills Centre

4^th January 2012

Do you know the mind of the Lord? Do you have the mind of Christ?
By Rev. Peter Tuchyna.

Who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

1 Cor. 2:12-16

When the Lord declared in His Word, John 1:1 and following verses, In the beginning was the Word... He revealed more than the identity of Jesus as the visible manifestation of the invisible God.

As the Word represents communication, the Lord God Almighty revealed that He as the Word wants to communicate Himself to mankind as His creation.

God is desirous to have a personal relationship and communication with every man and woman as we are:

• Created in His own image (Gen 1:27).

• As we were created for His pleasure and not for His wrath (Rev 4).

• As it is a will of God that our bodies would be the temple (dwelling place) of His presence (If a man love me he will keep my words, and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him. John 14:23).

• As He wants to manifest His glorious presence through and by His deeds in us ( Eph 2:10 for we are his workmanship, created in Jesus Christ unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them).

• Also as the Lord is desirous to manifest himself through the Gifts of the Holy Spirit ( endowment in utterance and deeds of the supernatural nature not learned or acquired by human abilities 1 Cor. 12; Rom 12; Eph. 4 ).

Disobedience and rebellion of man in the Garden of Eden caused separation from God, thus loss of spiritual and moral purity, holiness and righteousness and there were other consequences. Before the rebellion God conversed and walked with Adam every day to the cool of the day.

• Enoch walked with God – God walked with Enoch and Enoch was not for God honoured Enoch’s desire for close, personal and eternal communion with him.

God revealed to us in His Word that His desire is to have a renewed relationship with his creation, described by His Word as the NewBirth experience, which consists of the repentance (godly sorrow for the self imposed spiritual condition as a result of rebellion against God and both the water and Holy Spirit baptism.

It is God’s Word that is leading us from the foundation of understanding to knowledge and to the life of perfection (till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; Eph. 4:13 ).

 

The subject and teaching of the necessity of the New Birth experience is well covered by the local ministry of pastors, preachers and the Home Bible Study groups and therefore I would like to place the focus of our attention at this point of time upon the Word in Hebrews 6:1. Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.

Abram is described as a man who lived in the midst of generation worshiping an innumerable number of man made images and deities.

Just his deep heart desire to know the One true God was sufficient to touch the heart of God who manifested himself to Abram and communicated with him declaring to him to get out of the Chaldeans of Ur.

It was God who made himself “available, visible, reachable and touchable to Abram.

Since God is a Spirit and no man can see the spirit, how can a man touch God, hear from God, recognize and communicate with God – unless God would make himself available to a man?

Do not think for a moment that after your hard search for God thinking that he was hiding somewhere, you need now a tremendous skill to get his attention and persuading ability to find a favour with him?

The Holy Ghost revealed unto us that it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure, Phil. 2:13.

It is your God and your Creator who placed the desire within you to long after his presence in your life.

Therefore Jesus declared: Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you to go and bring forth fruit....John 15:16.

The only reason for God to suffer long with a stubborn and rebellious man is His desire to manifest His love, mercy and grace. ( Jesus became the lamb of God before the foundation of the world. He died for us yet when we were sinners). How could we impress Him when we were sinners?

God did not reveal himself to man in the majesty of His glory, knowledge or power. The manifestation was the love John 3:16.

The reason I am reiterating the fundamental truth of the Bible is because mankind is struggling from self-consciousness and self worth attempting to deserve the attention, love and presence of God.

The relationship of many believers and their trust in God’s presence with them is based upon their faith and in their faith in God.

When they think that they have faith in God (based upon their emotions) they are displaying confidence, zeal, fervour and trust.

Emotional instability is interpreted as weak faith and they are losing their confidence and even interest in closeness with God thinking that God must be entertained in their lives by their own spiritual strength.

Do not have faith in your faith!

When Abram believed God’s Word, he became a recipient of a promise given by God with the implication for him, his family and entire mankind. Gen. 12:3. (all the families of the earth will be blessed).

We understand today that Jesus Christ is the author and the finisher of our faith - Hebrews 12:2 .

We understand that we should earnestly contend for the faith, which was once delivered unto the saints - Jude 3.

We also understand that a man is not the author, he cannot grow, develop or manufacture the faith.

Faith is one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit given to us by the grace of God - Galatians 5:22 .

Abram was far from being perfect at the time he received the promise from God, which has no parallel in the history of entire universe in its consequences for mankind. Gen 12,13,15  Gen 17 .

Jesus said: Have faith in God or of God.

To accept faith and act in it without having first the visible proof (Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen) is a declaration that we trust the Word of the Holy, Righteous and Upright God.

The act or the action of a man using faith is a declaration that he accepted it as a gift from God.

God revealed this principle of relationship with him to place the faith and confidence upon His Word and act upon it already in the Old Testament period, to live by it regardless of the actions and development of unbelieving society or individuals even making attempt to threaten to persecute or to destroy.

Departure from the life of faith and trust in God’s Word and its application in our life is an open declaration that we have no confidence in the validity and power of God who promised to take care of us in any circumstance of life.

Departure of Israel from the life of faith and application of God’s Word always resulted in a spiritual, moral and physical defeats, uncleanness and slavery. So is in our lives today.

Faith is a vehicle provided by God to bring us into His presence of Grace. Without faith is impossible to arrive to the presence of God’s Grace. ( Heb 11:6 without faith is imposible...).

By faith we are receiving the power of the  Gospel of Jesus Christ into our lives, drawing us closer to Him and bringing the cleansing power of His blood into our lives. By faith we are receiving the administration of forgiveness by the Grace of God, when we dare to have faith in His Word and to apply it in accepting the repentance and both water and Holy Spirit baptism.

By faith we are cleansed by His blood and the Word of God and we are obtaining His holiness and righteousness through the presence of His Spirit dwelling in us. By faith we are refusing to participate in any activity of the mind, tongue or deeds, that would infect us with any spiritual uncleanness.

In the physical realm we do abstain from any pollution of water, food or other substances no matter how small and invisible the presence of the bacteria or a virus would be.

Holiness is spiritual hygiene!!

• By faith we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, which makes us sensitive and alert of the spiritual condition and pollution.

• By faith we are willing to become vessels and instruments in God’s hand to let Him manifest His presence and glory to perform the deeds He foreordained for us to do.

• By faith we are looking at the promises of His Word and not upon our own weaknesses, imperfections, or failures.

• By faith we are willing to do, to go, to speak, to submit to His will, to trust and to obey.

• By faith we are subduing the fear, the flesh, the double mindedness and the temptation.

• By faith we are raising against the enemy of our soul and the enemy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ expecting the supernatural intervention of God.

Jesus declared that he is with us always even unto the uttermost part of the world. He is with us, in us and for us.

God gave promise to Abraham, that He will bless him and protect him and provide for him and his descendants. The promise was that he won’t be the tail, he will be the head. He won’t be beneath, he will be the head and so on.

Acts of faith:

Only when Abraham was willing to bring the sacrifice of his own son and placed him upon the altar, God revealed himself as Jehovah Jireh (the Provider). God did not work on Abraham’s behalf, God worked with Abraham.

Noah:

Is described as the greatest preacher, thou only his own family listened and was saved.

Would you build the church building from your own finances for over 100 years, never receiving the church grant, never having one convert apart of your own family walking into the church, never receiving the visiting preacher – evangelist, never receiving one email of encouragement, one SMS, never see my face, your face and Facebook, never having reimbursement for expenditure and so on. Would you?

God did not work on Noah’s behalf – God worked with Noah.

Jacob:

After 20 years of pursuing his own will full of intrigues and self imposed exile for defrauding his brother by deceit, he was facing the reality of being destroyed by his brother at the approaching meeting. He was desperate for the intervention of God, but until he entered into the acts of prevailing with God in intercession, God did not intervene on his behalf, God worked on Jacob and with Jacob.

Goliath and David.

When the Philistines came against Israel and Goliath was railing insults and mockery against the Israel and his God for 40 days, God wanted to help Israel. God wanted to intervene and glorify himself in the midst of his people as well as in the midst of his enemy. The spiritual condition of Israel was a far cry from the glory of God He wanted his people to have.

God revealed it previously on many occasions that he wants to work with his people not on behalf of his people.

Only when David was ready to manifest and act in faith, God was with him and brought a victory. God did not act on behalf of David. God worked with David.

Daniel:

God did not work on behalf of Daniel, but with Daniel when he was willing to actively continue in his worship, praise and act of faith in God, in spite of the order to stop it.

God worked with Daniel when he was thrown into the Lion’s den, preserving his life.

Sadrach, Meshach, Abednego:

Were not spared challenges of losing their physical lives, by God working on their behalf behind the scene. God worked with them, when they continue the life of faith and were thrown into the fiery furnace.

Elisha: God did not work on his behalf when Elijah was taken away and he stood on the other side of the river Jordan needing to cross it. He had to pick up the mantel and swing it as he exclaimed, where is the God of Elijah?

God worked with him not on his behalf.

Beslaved Israel:

God revealed to Abraham that the time will come when Israel will be in slavery for 400 years many years before it happened. God did not work on Israel’s behalf to prevent it.

God worked with Israel only after the people lifted their voiced and cried out unto God.

Gideon: Israel was besieged by Amalekites to a point of starvation, yet God did not work on behalf of Israel, until Gideon was willing to remove uncleanness from the household of his father and to face the innumerable number of enemies just with 300 unskilled volunteers.

What military skill? what experience? What weapon? What plan? What strategic Advisor? What spies to inform about the enemy’s movement? And so on.

God worked with Gideon when Gideon acted in faith believing that the Lord will help.

Naaman the Syrian: He did not receive the healing and the Lord did not work on his behalf before he would obey the man of God and make a step of faith and walk to the Jordan river and immerse himself 7 times. God worked with Elisha and Naaman the Syrian not on their behalf.

NT- Cana the Galilees:

Men had to clean and to fill the pots with water before Jesus would perform the miracle.

Lazarus: People had to remove the stone before Jesus would call Lazarus out of the dominion of death so he could walk away from the cave.

Jesus was working with men, not on their behalf.

Blind Bartimeus: Jesus was passing by knowing of the presence and condition of Bartimeus.

Only after Bartimeus cried out and was determined not to let Jesus go by before He would touch and heal him, Jesus stopped and heal him.

Jesus was working with Bartimeus and his faith not on his behalf.

Women with the issue of blood:

Jesus knew of her presence and did not stop the crowd asking for an passage for her to come to him. Jesus let her make an effort and to crawl at the feet of the crowd, because Jesus was working with her and not on her behalf.

Paralysed man: when Jesus was inside of the building surrounded with the crowd of people that no one would be able to press through, He knew that outside were 4 men with a paralysed man on the bed trying to get in. Jesus did not rebuke the crowd of insensitivity for not allowing the desperate men to come in.

Jesus did not ask for a passage to be kept clear in the case of an emergency. Jesus let the men go to the extent of making an effort, destroying the roof, disturbing his teaching, making a mess by fallen debris of the building material falling on the listeners.

Jesus was not working on behalf of men saving and sparing their effort.

Jesus was working with them in spite of unfavourable circumstances.

Blind man: When Jesus spat on the mud and put it in the eye of a blind man, he wasn’t working on his behalf. Jesus commanded the man to go and to wash in the pool of Siloam.

Jesus was working with him. Action was needed.

Walking on the water: Mark 6:46; After Jesus fed the 5000 with 5 loafs of bread and 2 fishes, he sent his disciples to the other side of the sea to Bethsaida on their own. The wind was against them and they struggled. And about the fourth watch of the night he cometh to them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them, but when they saw him... they cried out. (48).

Talent: Matt. 25:14. Jesus revealed his expectation of the deeds and activity of faith by using our talent in proactive and creative way for the benefit and multiplication of his kingdom – established upon saved and delivered souls.

Passivity caused the servant his life.

What is the mind of Christ? To seek and to saved that which was lost.

That none should perish. That every nation, every country, every city, town, village and settlement will be exposed to the Gospel of Jesus.

It is his mind to manifest himself in you and through you, that you make yourself an available vessel for the presence of his Spirit.

That you continue in the deeds Jesus begun to do – The deeds I do you shall do also.

To heal the sick, to cast out demons, to proclaim His Gospel of hope, to manifest and bear the resemblance of our heavenly Father 1 Cor. 15 .

Daniel 11:32; ... but the people that know their God shall be strong and do exploits.

Your regular attendance is not necessary for the act of faith. It may become custom, a habit, a social experience. What you do after you left the service will express your faith in your action to stand up and act believing that the Lord Jesus will fulfil His promise in intervention.

Jesus confirmed the ministry of the apostles by His presence in performing signs, wonders and miracles - Acts.

Apostle Paul declared that the Gospel did not come in words only but in the demonstration of the spirit and in power, that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God - 1 Cor 2:4 ; 1 Thes. 4:5

Do you know the mind of Christ? Do you have the mind of Christ?

Do you walk and act in faith? Does the Lord confirm your word and your action by the signs, wonders and miracles.

The miracles follow them that believe. Do you walk in your power, your wisdom, your experience, your deeds, your expectation? Do you wait for the Lord to act on your behalf or do you have active faith to stand up believing that the Lord will intervene and fulfil his word of promise?

Are you satisfied with regular or irregular attendance of the services and a sickly support of all means?

Are you willing to go and to do what nobody has ever done because there is a need to carry on the Gospel and you have active faith that Jesus is with you?

• You may have your doctrine of the identity of Jesus right ( it is essential part of salvation) but you lost the first love for Jesus and lost souls.

• The Anointing of the Holy Spirit is more important than your job.

• Do not defraud your brother grieving the Holy Spirit for you would lose the joy and the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

• Do not grieve the presence of the Holy Spirit by entertaining an unforgiving spirit if you were defrauded for you will lose your anointing.( The revenge is mine....).

• The anointing is more important than to have a contact person in the city you are about to reach with the gospel.

• Anointing is more important than your natural abilities, eloquence and connections.

 

Many outside are experiencing miraculous healings, wonders and miracles having wrong understanding of the identity of Jesus, just because they are exercising active faith expecting Jesus to honour His word. How much more is Jesus desirous to manifest himself in our midst, in your life and ministry?

• You were created for a greater purpose than to just vacuum your living room and polish your office.

• You were created for a greater purpose than to impress your spouse and children by bringing home $100 more than your neighbour.

• You were created as a mighty man and now you are in a spiritual slumber.

• You were created with a thick skin to put up with some bruises, some cuts and opposition.

• You were called to continue in the deeds of Jesus ( the deeds I do you shall do also...). What deeds? Destroying the deeds of Satan. How? It starts by preaching the Gospel.... Do you?

• Do you know your God? Do you know and have the mind of Christ?

• Daniel 11:32; They that know their God shall be strong and shall do exploits.

• Joel 3:9; Proclaim this among the nations. Prepare for war. Wake up the mighty men. Let all the men of war draw near.

Shake your neighbour and proclaim – Wake up mighty man.

Gideon was greeted by the angel; the Lord be with you the mighty man of valour, while he was hiding behind the winepress. He become mighty after he removed some uncleanness from the household and the anointing of the Lord came upon him.

Is it possible that there are some leaders and ministers who have not conducted a single Home Bible Study and did not bring any visitor to the church? Spiritual slumber.

There are some men living in this city not present here this morning, choosing rather to work.

Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and everything else....

I need the anointing of the Holy Spirit more than my house – my job – more than the position – more than recognition – more than reputation.

Without the anointing you are fluffy balloon, empty bag, a green tree with a lot of leaves but no fruit.

Jesus cried over Jerusalem (not over himself). When did you cry over the spiritual condition of your family and a city?

What are you waiting for?

Raise up, pour the ashes upon the life and let us repent that we did not let Jesus to have pre-eminence in all in our lives.

The Lord wants to work with us today.

He wants to deliver some. He wants to heal some. He wants to empower some. He wants to pour anointing upon some. He wants to enable some with the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Are you ready? Are you willing? Let us run towards Jesus. Cry unto him. Touch him.

Do something, don’t stay motionless, cry less, speechless, heartless.

The Spirit of the Lord is moving in a special way.

Shake up – wake up the mighty men of valour. They were sleeping for too long.