Week of 11/27 – 12/3
Let Your Faith Arise / John 18:1-13
In this passage, Jesus responds to the men and officers that Judas has led to arrest Him. The men tell Him that they are looking for Jesus of Nazareth. “… Jesus saith unto them, I am he…” (John 18:5) In this statement Jesus reveals Himself as God. The very power of God is manifested by the reaction of the men as they fall backwards to the ground. Peter takes his sword and cuts off the ear of the high priest’s servant. From Peter’s point of view, this was the right thing to do. He was a Jew and He believed that he was protecting the Messianic kingdom. He was prepared to fight for the advancement of this kingdom. Peter had just seen the power of God throw men to the ground. He just knew that he would win this conflict. However, Peter is confused and shocked by the reaction of Jesus. “Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?” (John 18:11) In our text, it is clear that Jesus had the power to escape the band of men. It was His choice to be taken. He had a plan to fulfill that was not understood even by those that were close to Him.
In the past few weeks, Christian Life Center and many people around the world prayed for Bishop Haney to be healed. CLC kept the faith and believed God in the face of impossibility. However, it was God’s will that Bishop Haney be taken home. CLC has been through a period of testing. At this time, it is so important that we are able to redirect our prayers and faith. There will be more sickness and spiritual needs throughout the church body. Our faith must arise for each occasion and go into battle to support these needs. God is looking for us to be a people of great faith.
When Moses died it was Joshua’s time to lead the Children of Israel. God tested their faith as they looked toward the promise land. They refused to believe that God was able to destroy their enemies so that they could inherit the cities, vineyards, and surrounding lands. They ended up dieing in the wilderness because they did not trust God. Their lack of faith became their own demise.
The mission of the cross was not understood. It was difficult for those that loved Jesus. However, through His death our salvation was made possible and the church was born. CLC was established by the vision of great men. In the face of this time of testing, it is critical for us to connect our faith to God’s word and be focused in the right direction to continue the vision of the Church. We must still reach for the great victories written in God’s word. As a church, we are designed to take on the enemy and fight against the wickedness of this world. We are challenged to rise up and continue to be a people of great faith!
POINTS OF DISCUSSION
- How important is faith for the power of the church?
- Why must we always trust God?
- Discuss the need for great faith at CLC.
