The Ministry of Jesus 3-5

We have several topics today, Jesus and Faith, Jesus and Prayer, and Jesus Instructed us to Pray.

Barry Bennett-The Ministry of Jesus part 2 Lesson 3

Jesus and Faith,

Human faith, “I know I can, I know I will, etc,” your own determination, and it does work!

Natural faith, -sense knowledge, not hearing in the spirit, but seeing and experiencing. 

Spiritual Faith, 

Take no thought (anyone can have thoughts and doubts, but you take it by), Saying (when you speak out that doubt you give it authority, when you speak your fears you are giving authority and a place to those things.) What shall we eat, drink, or with what shall we be clothed? But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

But Doubt your doubts! Do not take them by speaking them out! 

Do not fear, first thing after sin came was fear. They had faith in the presence of God, and fear after sin, fear is nothing more than faith in the devil to do you harm. Faith will speak, “I believe, therefore I have spoken.” if you are fearing, then you will speak, and the two work the same way, believe in your heart and confess with your mouth, What? What are you confessing with your mouth? That Jesus is Lord? Or are you confessing your fears? If you confess that Jesus is lord then He is in your life. If you confess your fears over your life, then they will be over your life.

Matthew 8:8 “The centurion answer and said, “Lord I am not worthy that you should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” Jesus calls this faith-a faith without a need to see, without a need to feel anything, and yet still believing and speaking, great faith. 

Barry Bennett-The Ministry of Jesus Part 2 Lesson 4

Jesus and Prayer

Jesus was a man of prayer. Even though He was the Son of God, He had emptied Himself and taken the form of a man. Thus, His relationship with the Father was based on prayer.

You don’t have to be “in prayer” to hear from God. Prayer can be and should be fun! Relationship is fun. In a good relationship with God, He may drop something, some word on you at any time, and this does make it fun, in the middle of serving someone at Chick-Fil-A, in the middle of juggling, in the middle of a morning run, while you are sleeping, while you are watching tv, even those odd times like when you are in class at Bible College!

He began His ministry in Prayer, Luke 3:21, Jesus’ Baptism, as He was praying the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit came down like a dove and God spoke to Him. 

Then in those 40 days in the wilderness, He fasted and prayed, so that rather than being weak at the end, He was spiritually very strong. 

Prayer is the birthplace of true ministry. John 5:19 “Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, Verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do: for what things He does, these the Son also does likewise. For the Father Loves the Son and shows Him all things that He does, and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.” 

Keep freshness in ministry, stay in prayer, stay close to God, keep hearing from Him all the time.

John 8:28 “Then said Jesus unto them, when you have lifted up the son of man, then shall you know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself, but as my father has taught me, I speak these things.” 

Speak as you hear God speak.

James 1:5 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men liberally, without reproach, and it will be given him.”

Wisdom comes from prayer, just keep at it, keep becoming more sensitive to the Spirit, even if you don’t always hear right now, keep at it and tune yourself in to His voice more and more. 

1 Thessalonians 3:10-11 “Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith? Now God himself our father and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.” 

How would you like some direction in your life? Well there is a place for wisdom, but a big part is getting it directly from the Holy Spirit! Which might not agree with your logic at the time, but it will always be right if it is the Holy spirit.

Matthew 14:19 “And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven he blessed, and broke, and gave the loaves to His disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.”

Provision comes from Prayer, Jesus saw the need, and prayed, and there was provision. 

John 11:41-43 “Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank you that you have heard, me, and I knew that you hear me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that you have sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, Come Forth” Jesus had already prayed, He only said what He said for the sake of those who were there! When you have already prayed through something, then you can take your authority in every situation, and nothing can stand against it.

Matthew 14:23 “And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.” One of the greatest threats to ministry and those in it, is the post ministry time, after you have had a good night, good message, and a great time with God, you had prayed up for it, and everyone has been blessed, and then you go home. And this is where people get into trouble, ministry can be very draining, so when you get home, you have to get into the word, into prayer, or else you can excuse yourself, say, go take a break, and watch a stupid movie. And nothing against stupid movies, but there is a time for that, and there is time to be alone and pray. There is a danger to success, because then you can minister off of fame and past testimony, and not out of a relationship with God. Don’t minister off of fumes. Build yourself back up, get back to the relationship with God especially after ever success. 

Mark 1:34-35 “And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many demons, and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him. Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.” He did not go out to meet the crowds in all His fame, He spent more time with God. You have to fuel your ministry!

Luke 5:15-16 “But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him; and great multitudes came together to hear Him and to be healed of their infirmities, and He withdrew Himself into the wilderness, and prayed.”

Luke 6:12-13 “And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God and when it was day, He called unto Him His disciples; and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles.” He spent all night prayer for those 12 names, he didn’t want to pick the wrong ones.

Luke 22:31-32 “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for thee, that they faith fail not; and when you are converted, strengthen your brethren.”

Romans 8:34 “Who is he that condemns? It is Christ that died, yet rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.”

Jesus prayed for people, and still prays for people.

Matthew 26:36-46 Jesus prayed at the time of His greatest temptation. In the Garden before His death. 

John 17:1- “These words spoke Jesus, and lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify your Son, that your Son also may glorify you: As you have given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which you have given Me to do. And now, O Father, Glorify me together with yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. I have manifested your name to the men whom you have given me out of the world. They were yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from you. For I have given to them the words which you have given me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to you. Holy Father, keep through your name those whom you have given me, that they may be one as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in your name. Those whom you gave me I have kept, and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world…” and so on and on, Jesus did not pray for the dirt, but for the seeds that were to be planted in the world.

Barry Bennett-The Ministry of Jesus Part 2 Lesson 5

Jesus Instructed us to Pray.

“But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those spitefully use you.” 

If someone has offended you, rather than taking that offense, stop RIGHT THERE and pray for them. It will save you from a very messed up life!

Matthew 6:6 “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”

You need that private prayer life, not just this public “I’m a Christian” prayer life.

Matthew 6:9-15 “In this manner, therefore pray: Our Father (not our God who smites us) in heaven, Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. (when has the kingdom come?) Your will be done (Kingdom coming is His will being done.) On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. (Who does God give seed and bread to? 2 Cor. 9:10, to the sower, this is how we participate in God’s economy, we don’t have to be regulated by what is going on in the world.) And forgive us our debts, (This prayer was spoken under the law still, Jesus could not speak as though He had already died, God has forgiven us--SO that we could forgive.) As we forgive our debtors.” skip to 14, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” (You see, we have already been forgiven, but can a natural human forgive someone on the heart level? Ephesians 4:32, “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, Even as God for Christ’s sake, HAS forgiven you.” He had to forgive us first so that we could forgive others! You can’t put out what has not be put in! If you don’t have forgiveness you cannot forgive! But we HAVE BEEN forgiven SO THAT WE CAN Forgive.) Now you can forgive others, because you have been forgiven, back to verse 13, “And  do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” What was God obligated to do in the old covenant with Israel? If they did good, God could bless them, if they did bad, God had to curse them. But we are under a new and better covenant with new and better promises. 

Well that was a LONG post, I hope you made it through all of it, because, if you did, then you got all I got-in much less than the three hours it took me to listen to all this!

Be Blessed!

-Ben Heath