Compiled by: Herman Abrahams (Pastor), Cornerstone Faith Ministries, P.O. Box 740, Westridge 7802, Rep. of South Africa.
E-Mail: Mentorship2003@yahoo.co.uk
Note to the reader:
If you have been blessed with this sermon compilation, I would be honoured to receive an e-mail from you merely telling me where in the world you are based- I do not need any other information. This is merely so that I can have the pleasure of giving thanks to Almighty God that all over the globe the ministry which he has entrusted to me, is blessing the body of Christ and helping to extend the Kingdom of God.
Thank you.
Herman Abrahams,
Cape Town, South Africa.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FORCEFUL MEN LAY HOLD OF THE KINGDOM
Matthew 11:12
INTRODUCTION
--------------------
Matthew 11:12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. (NIV)
The work of John the Baptist had not been in vain. He had pointed away from himself towards Jesus, and the crowds had followed Jesus (John 3:26).
John’s preaching had contributed towards paving the way for Christ.
We must be like John, fearlessly striving ahead in the gospel; forcefully making our way into the Kingdom; staying there, and helping others to enter in. John paved the way for Christ’s ministry; we are called to pave the way for Christ’s second coming.
John was the Herald who announced that, "After me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Matt 3:11). We are the Heralds announcing Christ’s second coming and the need for all men everywhere to repent and be born again. Jesus himself said, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit" (John 3:5).
1. ’MAKE EVERY EFFORT’
--------------------------------
The kingdom, says Jesus, ever since the days of John’s first appearance upon the scene has been pressing forward vigorously and forcefully. The Kingdom is doing so now: the sick are being healed, lepers are cleansed, the dead raised, the blind see, the lame walk and sinners are raised to a new life in Christ. However, not everyone has entered in. Many, multitudes, even now are refusing and resisting. Many people groups remain unreached with the gospel. But vigorous and forceful men, who will not compromise with the world, who are prepared to follow the whole counsel of God, no matter what the cost to themselves, such individuals are eagerly taking possession of the Kingdom. They are going after it with all their might, with every fibre of their being, working out their own salvation in fear and trembling, and eagerly, vigorously and forcefully, helping others to get there through a fearless proclamation of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
What Jesus is emphasising in Matt 11:12 is that we cannot sleep our way into the Kingdom. On the contrary, entrance into the Kingdom requires earnest endeavour, untiring energy, utmost exertion:
Luke 13:24 "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to."
Acts 14:21-22 ’ ... Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, ?22? strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," they said.’
2. SATAN’S SCHEMES / THE DAY OF EVIL
----------------------------------------------------
All of the above is true because Satan, in these last days is using all the schemes and wiles that he can put together, and along with all his host of demons, he has learnt to use crafty methods to attack the people of God and the Body of Christ. Therefore Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:10-14:
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood ... Therefore put on the full armout of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, ...
We are certainly living in "the day of evil" for we have seen the recent attacks on the church in terms of its stance on homosexual and lesbian relationships which many are now wanting to become fully-fledged marriages.
The enemy has been working subtly and has fooled many, to the extent where man has allowed the ordination of gay ministers in some churches and where gay relationships are openly condoned. The Apostle Paul warns us in 2 Tim 3:1-5:
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God- 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
We are in a war my friends:-
• Therefore it takes forceful men, men who are violent in the spirit, men who are eager to fight,
to conquer and to overcome satan and thus take possession of the Kingdom of God and all
the blessings of salvation.
• Not only that, in this war, believers must be prepared to forge ahead with all the power of the holy spirit within them to invade the devil’s kingdom, to take hold of his goods (i.e. sinners under his control) and help them to come into the kingdom.
3. THE KINGDOM THEN IS NOT FOR WEAKLINGS, WAVERERS OR COMPROMISERS:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
i) It is not for people like Balaam: 2 PETER 2: 14-16 With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable, they are experts in greed-an accursed brood! 15 They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness. 16 But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey-a beast without speech-who spoke with a man’s voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.
ii) It is not for people like the rich young ruler who placed a higher value on his riches than salvation in Jesus Christ. (Matthew 19:22)
iii) It is not for people like Pilate who would rather follow the crowd for the sake of being popular, rather than follow his personal conviction that Jesus is the son of God and that in him there was no sin. (John19:12-13)
iv) It is not for people like Demas who will desert us in the midst of the fight and fall in love with this present world (2 Tim 4:10). May I remind you that this world is not our home- we are merely passing through.
4. THE KINGDOM IS FOR STRONG AND STURDY MEN:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
i) Men like Joseph, who, when tempted by Potiphar’s wife, stood firm and said "How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" (Gen 39:9).
ii) Men like Daniel and his friends, who replied to the king, 16 ... "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." (Daniel 3:16-18)
iii) Men like Stephen, who, when martyred for his faith, could still say a prayer for his killers, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." (Acts 7:60).
iv) Men like Paul and his singleness of mind and purpose: Phillipians 3:13-14 "Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
And let us not forget such brave women as Ruth, Deborah, Esther and Lydia, to mention but a few.
(end)
