26th November 2023 - Teaching Services - Simon Chaffer - Activate the Miraculous

Hmmmmmmmm mie m. The title of this morning's sermon is prepare a gift,

Surprise, Surprise, Activate the miraculous, Activate the miraculous. Mhm. So

as I walked in the door, there's some guy talk about Christmas. Do

you think my sermon? So we're going to talk about preparing gifts. I'm

sure we all like to receive gifts. And know my wife likes to receive

gifts. It's one of her favorite things. Birthday, Christmas, special occasion.

You these gifts of color for colorfull, very rapped, colorfully wrapped.

I don't know if you're a rippit open person or a carefully pull the paypay

back and slide the gift down. We all do it differentely that way.

Do you know somebody's preferred that gift. Something's gonna bought it and made it

wrapped, it written your name and a little label, and I handed it

to her. Oh, I know it's like in India. I don't know,

but oh here we we wut get under the tree at Christmas. I

don't know how it works as apparently this word. I was reminded of the

true story about a man who his son came to visit and after the pleasantries,

he handed his dad a little box. I guess it was about two

and a half three two and a half three inch a square, a little

cardboard box. Theyd done it and his dad looked at the box, felt

the way to the box because I'm in the box, And his son said

he can open it in a minute, in a minute, and so eventually

he opened the box. Inside the boxes and tissue paper, and inside the

tissue paper was the key. It was a key for a new car.

There's a Mercedes Benz, I think as a Mercedes be So he thanked his

son. He didn't really know what to say. It was a big gift

for him. Speaking for his son, he was humbled by that gift.

The Bible says the God soul of the world, that he gave his only

begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting

life. Jesus came into the world for us, for you, for me,

for you listening online, for you're listening later. That said he who

knew no sin, he became sin for us. He was beaten, he

was scourged, He was known to a cross. He hung there till he

died three days later he was raised from the dead. Because he lives,

we live. That was God's gift that he prepared for us. That was

God's gift that he prayed for you. He took him years to prepare that

gift. Then just knock it out here you go, He declared and decreed

that through the centuries until Jus came. Although the cow is a significant gift,

mm hmmm, you can't give God. Jesus is my best gift.

In a few weeks, we're going to celebrate Christmas hot the birth of Jesus,

to the song that says, because he lives, I can face tomorrow

because he lives. Oh, fear is gone because I know he holds the

future, and life is worth living, just because he lives. If you

don't know Jesus, no time out of the present is to welcome into your

heart. If you do remember, because he lives, we can face tomorrow

because he lives. All fear is gone because I know he holds the future,

and life's worth living because he lives. So today we're going to talk

about preparing the gift, activating the miraculous. As Christians, we do live

in this natural world. Who we're in this world of this world. If

you choose to walk as God wants you to walk, you can regulate activate

the miraculous in your life and the life of those people around you. Because

you have a connection with Heaven, you have a connection to the miraculous.

Don't settle for second best. Makes you connected to the miraculous. Let's have

a look at John a very familiar passage. Pay for all words. This

is the story or the account of the feeding of the five thousand men plus

women and children. I'm starting a verse one. After these things, Jesus

went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberius. There

a great mother should followed him because they saw his signs which he performed on

those who were diseased. And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there

he sat with his disciples. Now the passover, the feast of the Jews,

was near. Then Jesus lifted up his eyes, and, seeing a

great multitude coming toward him, he said to Philip, where shall we buy

bread that these may eat? But he said this to test him, for

he knew what he would do. So they answered, the hundred denarii worth

the bread is not sufficient for them. But even one of them may have

a little One of his disciples, Andrew Simon, Peter's brother, said to

him, there's a lad here who has five fileyloads and two small fish.

But what are they among so many? Jesus said, make the people sit

down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat

down in number a bive five thousand, and Jesus took the loads, and

when he had given thanks, he distributed them to the disciples and disciples of

those sitting down, and likewise the fish as much as they wanted. So

when they were filled, he said to the disciples, gather up the fragments

that remained, so that nothing is lost. Therefore they gathered them up,

unfilled, twelve baskets with the fragments of five pil of those which were left

over by those who when eaten. A very familiar scripture. I'm sure we've

all read that before ourselves. This is the Yorkshire version. He says a

lad, but it's actually means small boy, so something something something Joe's size

as a small boy. So the five pile of those and the two small

fish weren't for some deer, some big lad with some little lad, some

for a big ja was a little ja. Notice this boy is in the

right place at the right time. We don't know who he was, We

don't know where he came from. We know he was there. We know

he chose to give Jesus. It is five bather those and he's too small

fish. When you give to Jesus, it can take it and can turn

it into something else. When you give to Jesus, it can activate the

miraculous. That boy didn't really think what Jesus is going to do because Jesus

didn't tell him. Jesus broke the bread, gave it to the disciples.

I don't know that's blessed to better go it to disciples, and then the

miracle happened, the miracle of multiplication. That's still happening today. God is

still moving today. Today. He wants to encourage us to align with the

miraculous. Don't miss what God is doing. Jesus with those five by the

loaves and there's two small fish, about five thousand men, women and children.

God wants us to prepare a gift. Sometimes he said, what is

in your hand to you in my sign seem insignificant. But when God gets

old of it, when it's freely given. We are debating the miraculous,

and God makes it something special to God wants to encourage us to listen,

to move to flow with him every day. It's not a batten. This

is daily every day, whether as if they're prepared or it's a gift that's

within the messles with a heavenly will look differently. That's the same twigs.

But what God has delision is it's the same his name, yesterday, today

and forever. Mhm. And it's time for a step change. It's time

to change the way we do things. It's time to water rats not in

the mundane h m hm. So ready to move as the Holy Spirit nudges,

they're ready to move them. It might be easy, it might be

uncomfortable. It doesn't matter. Don't be yesach day moving the miraculous. Don't

miss the ability to change somebody's life. People got built, they were happy.

Noticed Wait until they will get a going with the bread and the fish.

Until they were filled. Work for you, keep going. There's no

lack like in God. Can did you know? M h kah, let''s

look at another story. Can't one King's another familiar passage, I'm sure he

speaks about the lie John and the loan of the Zarapeth, which is silent,

which is Palistine. Reading from verse verse eight, I'm reading from the

amplified And the word of the Lord came to him. Arise, go to

Zarathith, which belongs to Sidon, and behold, well they're sorry. And

behold, I've commanded a widow there to provide for you. So he rose,

I went to Zarafaith. When he came to the gate of the city,

Behold, the widow was there gathering sticks. He called her, bring

me a little water in a vessel that I may drink. As she was

going to get in, he called to her and said, bring me a

morsel of bread in your hand. And she said, as a lord,

your god lives, I have no loaf. I have not a loaf baked,

but only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil

in the bottle. See, I'm gathering two sticks that I may go and

bake it for me and my son, that we may eat it. And

I Elijah said to her, not go and do as you have said,

but make me a little cake first and bring it to me, and afterwards

prepare some for yourself. And your son. Let us save the Lord,

the God of Israel. The giant meal shall not waste away or the bottle

of oil fail, until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.

She did as Elijah said, and she and her household ate for many days.

The giant meal was not spent or the bottle of oil fail, according

to the word which the Lord spoke through Elijah. Under the account of God

working in the miraculous. It's interesting to note that when the widow was after

some water in the time of drow, she's in battnihlids. She was to

model off and go and get him soon as I large to mention food.

That was a pressure points. We turned and said, no, some water,

but the sticks what was left in the dye. But then God,

God said no, it doesn't pay, No, there's tired. When it

got to beans and racks a gift, O gave sacrificial what hair let but

no one quite said, But God was trued. He filled out that contact

may only felt that kind of until she gave. How to what she had,

she gave and God moved. It can be a great leveler used to

fear and choose to what I say. I refuse to fear. I refuse

and shoot sometimes needs to the widow and trust God. We are said it

before. Warn your hand. It doesn't matter. That's a load as a

or a smaller stas God whose you step down? Don't fear activate the miraculous?

Do you work in here? Any faith who cause is to actually in

the miraculous? You want to test in sitting work in our lives? Each

American take a step first, third, step h because he speaks against all

about taking then step step them into the miraculous hm H. Matthew, and

with always I am with you. Always say so you have to stay hide

your comfort zone. Remember he is with it always, He's with all.

He might not be able to see him, he might not be able to

small him. Always. I do you want to take us from where we

are where I want us to be? That's a trench the way I don't

about or something isn't here that total, it's something, but you got them.

Mhmmkay. Just to stretch mhm H. Wants to stretch our faith to

the wants us to activate the miraculous in our lives. Every other change,

you don't take it out. It's not been an happenful here for agents.

You know. So if you take that step when nobody else, if you

know around anybody else, you's by yourself. It's what you do, not

longer the U shold yeah. She pressed through the sacoized garment. Jesus,

she threw convention the wash. If you keep part of it, indel will

estonia. But that's how should go what she needed, she abated. Miraculous

wants us to be a dig at the place. Mhm. So they ask,

is are you willing to do the way to me too? But if

we'll get into a rhythm of miracles. God wants to get into a rhythm

of miracles. That means maybe come come back in place. But all starts

with you. I'll start with me. When he says, where it does

two, come on, come on, look for opportunity to connect with God

in this space over this Christmas period. Stand down. Hm. God's got

a journey wants to take us on individually and corporately. You've got a rocketlion,

start a journey. It's on your autumn. You don't know anything because

you're not Jurney just sitting there together. Start moving one step ahead of time.

Something that's yeah, I think so. Let's be praying, let's be

well game. I'll take these words and in partner m hm. Maybe they

catalyzed to those who choose to walk in the miraculous, take them from where

they are to where they want to be, whether there is no time,

or in this room or later