March 1, 2009
Morning Worship
Text: Matthew 4:23-25
Subject: The Ministry of Jesus
Title: The Thing Legends Are Made Of
Have any of you ever made up a really good story? I mean one of those stories that you can tell that you make it sound so believable that people really take you seriously? Many of you deer hunters or fisherman know what I am talking about!
Back in 1971 and 1972 around Louisiana, MO there was a story that stirred up the nation. It is the legend of MOMO the Missouri Monster. Witnesses claim to have seen a huge, hairy, hulking creature stalking the woods and lonely country roads. The creature is similar to the well-known Bigfoot of the Pacific Northwest, only more otherworldly. It has glowing orange eyes, a pumpkin-shaped head, three-fingered hands and leaves three-toed footprints. Unlike the shy Bigfoot, this aggressive creature is known to kill animals and antagonize humans.
The Momo saga began in July, 1971. Joan Mills and Mary Ryan were driving along Highway 79, north of Louisiana, when they allegedly saw a hairy creature that made disturbing gurgling noises. The women described the thing as "half ape and half man."
The most notorious sighting took place one year later. On the afternoon of July 11, 1972, 8-year-old Terry Harrison and his 5-year-old brother, Wally, were playing in their backyard at the foot of Marzolf Hill on the outskirts of Louisiana. Their older sister, Doris, was inside the house. Doris heard her brothers scream. She looked out the bathroom window and saw a black, hairy manlike creature, standing by a tree.
The thing appeared to be six or seven feet tall. Its head sat directly atop its shoulders, with no visible neck. The face was likewise invisible, completely covered by a mass of hair.
The youths reported a chilling detail – the creature, streaked with blood, carried a dead dog under its arm.
Later that summer two fisherman in The Cuivre River State Park near Troy reported seeing a strange hairy creature crossing the river early in the morning. (I knew one of those fisherman and I think that if he saw anything it was probably drug induced).
Later sightings were reported as far south as O’Fallon and St. Peter’s.
Then the sightings stopped but the legend remains. Webster’s Dictionary says that a legend is, “a story, handed down from the past, which lacks accurate historical evidence but has been, and may still be, popularly accepted as truth. There never has been any historical evidence to prove that the legend of MOMO was real. Yet the story lives on.
There is a story from a much more distant past – the story of Jesus. Much of the world rejects this story even though there is much evidence of its truth even as we speak today. That evidence is the changed lives, the miraculous healings, and supernatural works of the Holy Spirit working in the church and that evidence cannot be denied.
I want to start you out today with Luke 4:16- 19, 16He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. 17The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”£
Now as we turn to Matthew 4:23-25 I want to show you the evidence of the Holy Spirit’s anointing that was on Jesus and is on the church today.
Lord, open my eyes to see and my ears to hear what the spirit is saying to the church.
I. THE PASSION OF JESUS Verse 25, 3Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. I want you to first look at where most of Jesus’ ministry took place. Some of His ministry took place in Jerusalem and Judea, but a larger part of His ministry was spent in the northern parts of Israel, away from the center of “religion”. Did you ever wonder why that was? It was because the so - called “religious” people were so entrenched in their tradition that they would never accept this radical new kind of faith that Jesus was proclaiming. First of all, he was teaching them as one with authority, not as the scribes. The scribes could only teach what they had heard other men teach. But, the things that Jesus taught were the things that He knew because He knew the Father like no one else could know Him. John 1:1-2, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. The authority that Jesus had to teach He has given to us. He tells us that the Holy Spirit will always be here to give us the right words to speak in every situation that we find ourselves in. Second, He was preaching the good news of the kingdom. Go back up to 4:17. From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” There are a lot of people who take this to mean that Jesus preached the salvation message. That is what we need in order to receive the kingdom. But it says that Jesus preached that the kingdom is near and in verse 25 the good news of the kingdom. What is the good news of the kingdom? Is it salvation and eternal life? Yes, but not just salvation! The kingdom could refer to the millennial reign of Christ or it could refer to the eternal kingdom or both. But since He was preaching that the kingdom was near He must have been telling everyone what the kingdom was going to be like – and not just telling them, but showing them as well. Third, He was showing them by what He was doing and not just by what He was saying. The good news of the kingdom also includes healing every disease and sickness among the people. Notice here that not every sickness is caused by disease. There are so many different forms of sickness – emotional, spiritual, physical and Jesus healed them all. For us to see those types of miracles in the church today we need to separate ourselves from “religion” and look closer at our relationship with the Lord.
II. THE POPULARITY OF JESUS 24News about him spread all over Syria… I want you all to understand something. I can’t say this enough. The church has the same anointing in the Holy Spirit that Jesus had when He walked the face of the earth. You see, the popularity of Jesus spread not just because of what He said and not just because of what He did, but it was the fact that His actions backed up His words that people could come to realize that the kingdom was at hand – the fullness of what God had intended for the world to be was being ushered in by the coming of the Messiah. Now, turn over to Luke 10:19-20, 19I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. Here is the anointing that is on the church. Many people think that this anointing was only meant for the apostolic age. I haven’t found that place in the Bible where it says that the anointing was supposed to stop at a particular time. It would appear that the opposite would be true. Acts 2:38-39, 38Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Peter, who was speaking under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, knew that after you were saved that the baptism in the Holy Spirit was the next expected event in the life of a believer.39The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” I want you to see what happens when the word about Jesus is spread. … people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. Now, understand this – the anointing and the signs and wonders, miracles, healings, and authority that comes with the anointing is not for your glory. It is not so that this church can be lifted up as something special. It is so Jesus can be lifted up and the Father glorified. 20However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” When people see the power of God working in you and in the church, they will see the kingdom connection. They will know that Jesus is in this house, that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, both corporately and individually. As we teach and preach in the name of Jesus, as we heal and work miracles in the name of Jesus, as we proclaim the nearness of the kingdom in the name of Jesus it is the name of Jesus that is lifted up. The whole intent is that through the anointing the popularity of Jesus would expand.
III. THE PROCLAMATION OF JESUS 25Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him. Do you see what has happened? When Jesus ministered to people those to whom He ministered and those who saw told others. That is how the good news is spread. What began in Galilee spread to Syria and the areas to the north. Now it has spread to the east and south – even to the center of “religion” - and people everywhere were following Jesus. In Acts chapter 3, after the cripple at the Beautiful gate was healed Peter said this to those who were there. “Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.
I want to close by sharing some testimonies of healing that I found on the internet.
Jane writes,
October 28, 2006
" I had been captive to breast cancer for the past 10 years.
I received the Holy Spirit today and Satan was evicted from my body.
When the Intercessors prayed and commanded Satan to leave,
I experienced intense pain in my lower right abdomen, like someone was ripping out
something by the roots. The pain stopped and I knew the enemy was gone.
I was and am completely healed and healthy and whole from my Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ."
Linda writes,
September 5, 2006
" I have [had] asthma all my life - 56 years. I was prayed for and the bronchial tubes opened up. I had a vision just before prayer of a little girl ( me ) crippled and couldn’t run to Jesus.
After prayer I ran around the room a couple of times and had no trouble breathing.
God has a lot for me to do and I need to be able to keep up with Him!"
A girl who is almost two was expected to have Down’s Syndrome when she was in the womb and doctors wanted her mother to abort her. The baby was born without Down’s Syndrome, but she had a kidney that they said was never going to function and had seven cysts on it. A year later they had it checked again and the lady looked at the first X-ray and saw seven cysts and didn’t think it would ever function. She also didn’t think the child looked sick, so she suggested they get another X-ray. She said, “Just as I thought. There is only one tiny cyst and it’s a fully functioning kidney. Come back in three months and we’ll prove that it’s gone.”
Listen, these are not legends like MOMO. This is the reality of God that is intended for the church. It is time for this church to rise up and be what God has always intended for us to be. No more submission to what the devil wants to do to us, but standing in the power and authority that is given to us in the name of Jesus.
In the name of Jesus
In the name of Jesus
We have the victory
In the name of Jesus
In the name of Jesus
Satan will have to flee
For when we stand on the name of Jesus
Tell me who can stand before us
In the name of Jesus, Jesus
We have the victory
