THE CONTINUATOR'S CHARGE

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Welcome And Message Title

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So glad to have you with us here in Marinath Christian Assembly. Welcome, New Brunswick. And those of you joining us online from all around the world, we welcome you today.

The Temple Tax Story In Matthew 17

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The title of my message is The Continuator's Charge. It's going to build your faith. Turn with me to the book of Matthew. And we're going to go to the 17th chapter. In the 24th verse. Jesus and some of the disciples, if not all of them, had returned back to Capernaum. This was the home base of Jesus' ministry. And it says in verse 24, when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money, tax money, came to Peter and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? And he saith, Yes. And when he was coming to the house, Jesus prevented him or stopped and asked him, saying, What think Simon? Of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? Of their own children or of strangers? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free? Notwithstanding lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, cast a hook, take up the fish that first cometh up, and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money. And that take and give unto them for me and thee. I want to talk what happened with Peter and what the Lord told him to do. When you continue on to follow the Lord, you will always be obedient to what the Lord asks you to do. Sometimes in life, people may ask us to do things that are absolutely ridiculous. And an incident arose where the temple tax people came by and they wanted to know if Jesus would pay the tax. I don't know whether it was an entrapment or what they were trying to do. I'm not going into that. Peter was more than glad enough to say, of course we do, we pay taxes. It was how Jesus got the money to pay the tax. Now, we could look at this and think of, he could take out of the revenues that they contribute and pay into something which really he doesn't have to pay. Or Jesus will make it a point and he'll pay the taxes. Jesus decided to speak to one

Obedience And Unusual Provision

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of the fish. That's quite a miracle. Because this fish knew where to find the coin. This fish knew where the money was. Right away. How can any fish know that? Listen, when Jesus speaks to you and tells you to do something, even something which you have very little understanding in. When you start to do it and move by faith, you're going to move as one who knows exactly what they're doing. You're going to move with total confidence. And when Jesus asks Peter to go down to the lake, throw the hook into the water, and the first fish he pulls out, open its mouth, and you're going to find a coin. Take that coin and pay the tax. I can imagine the thoughts that may have been going through Peter's mind. I've been fishing all these years, and I've never caught a fish with money in its mouth. No fish is going to be attracted in any way to pick up the coin and not only pick it up, but to keep it in its mouth. Do you see the miracle here? We sometimes wonder how God is going to provide, and we try to figure it all out in our minds. And when he tells us what to do, we're still trying to figure it all out in our minds. All we have to do is to say, yes, Lord, just like Peter, yes, Lord, I will do that. I will get my fishing line out. I'll throw it onto the into the water. Obedience, I cannot tell you today how important it is when we walk with the Lord. That's how miracles come. That's how doors are open for us. That's how doors are closed. That's how we're able to minister. That's how it is when we can get our family who have no hope, and we're wondering what stable thing can I bring my family into that will have them a good quality of life. And I know of no other than walk in the Christian walk and to give our hearts to Jesus, be baptized in water, be filled with the Holy Spirit, and obey God and move by faith. That's life. It cannot get any better than that for us in this world. And I wanted to go into something here first.

Six Faith Actions In One Verse

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I'm going to be talking about the continuator's charge. And I just want to touch on this before I start that section. There were six faith-producing steps that took place here for the coin to be put into action. There were six faith steps, so very simple, and we read them all in verse 27. When we walk by faith, number one, go. He says, go thou to the sea. The second thing is, cast a hook. The third faith-producing step is take. The fourth producing thing that we see is when thou hast opened his mouth, open five, thou shalt find, look, in other words, and number six, give. We've got it all right here in just this one verse in Matthew 17, verse 27. We have six faith actions that produce results. Many times Christians will pray and just sit still and don't know what to do, and they think that's it. Now they'll just go back to whatever they do. Bake cookies, go out and work in their shop to whatever, or go out and ride around on the tractor. If you need a miracle from God, you've got to go to where miracles are possible. Number two, you gotta cast. Put it out there. Cast it out there. Let's see what's going to happen. Number three, you're going to see it on the casting, and you're going to take it. It's amazing how many times God provides for them and they don't take it because that's not what they're expecting. Take it. And take the provision, open the mouth in this case, open it up, whatever it is you've taken, open it up. Let's see what's in here for us. Look and give. Whenever God provides for you, you've got more than you need to be a blessing. Never for a moment think that you will never be a blessing. Peter had been with Jesus. I don't know exactly how long it was at this point, but I do know that he was with Jesus at least three years. Peter was a businessman. He had men under him. He could be quite emotional. And he was always wanting to do everything. And many times he wanted to do everything his way. That's why he got in trouble quite often. Peter continued.

Peter’s Character And Perseverance

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He never gave up. Peter, of course, you know that he was crucified upside down. He was a martyr. He was faithful, continued serving the Lord all the time. I find people and I thought were so strong and that they would always be there. And people say, no, they've returned back out into the world. They're not walking with the Lord anymore. And if you focus on something, and I'm talking with those of you now who decide that you want to walk with the Lord, who are faithfully serving God, continually serving the Lord. In the word of the Lord, we are charged to continue walking with Jesus. We're charged. And the first one I'd like to draw your attention to is in John 15, verse 9. Continue in my love. That's what Jesus says. When we come to know the Lord. And by the way, if somebody's continuing, that is a person who carries on the work of another.

The Continuator’s Charge Introduced

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Listen, Christians, this is what we're doing. We are carrying on the work of Christ in the earth. I am not starting my work and I'm going to replace Christ. No, as believers of Jesus Christ, we carry on his work. Being a believer is more than a mind exercise or a mind decision. Some people say, yes, I'll live for Jesus. And quite often in many evangelical churches, anyway, we raise our hands, we want to give our life to the Lord, and we step forward and the minister prays for us, etc. That's quite often the way we do it. And some people think, that's it. I raised my

Continue In Love And Grace

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hand, I went forward, the preacher prayed for me. But we're to continue on to know the Lord. And I believe that there needs to be more of an emphasis put on teaching the word of the Lord to make us strong. Jesus said, I want you to continue in my joy. I got joy. I got Jesus' joy. He says, as the Father have loved me, so have I loved you. Continue ye in my love. That's what we're to do. And Peter, all those three years that he walked with the Lord, he continued every day walking in the love of Jesus. The second charge that's given to us is continue in grace. This is Acts 13, 43 that I want to give the reference to. Continue in grace. Now, when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who speaking to them, notice what they spoke to them, persuaded them to continue in grace. Walk with the Lord's blessing. Walk in the Lord's power. Walk in such a way that you know that God's going to make the way for you. Always remember that. God's going to make a way.

Continue In Faith Through Trial

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The third area that they were to continue in, we are to continue in the faith. Hallelujah. Or in faith. Acts 14, 22, confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must, through much tribulation, enter the kingdom of God. It's always going to be difficult to press in. And it's all about us maturing and developing. It's not about you getting a better car or you finally are going to have that vacation that you always dreamed about going to every July. It's not talking about this. I am talking about you entering into the kingdom of God and the tribulation that comes to us. There's an inner battle that goes on inside of us. There's always the enemy telling us, why don't you quit? Why don't you give up? Why don't you stop? Have you ever noticed that when you start pressing in by faith, as you get closer to the thing that you're believing for and pressing in, have you not noticed how just before the breakthrough comes, the enemy is pressing trying to prevent us from entering the kingdom, trying to prevent us from walking in that truth. I'm going to continue anyway. That's what faith is. Faith is continuing on. Why do you keep pressing on? Because I already have it. I don't see it, but I already have it. And I want the manifestation to come. So I'm just going to continue pressing on. I'm not going to quit. I'm not going to stop by the wayside. I'm just going to keep pressing on. Faith is you continue. You don't just say, oh, I prayed once, it didn't happen. I tried that, it didn't work. Try it again. Try it again. Step out again. Keep continuing. What else can you do? You cannot turn and go back. Walking with the Lord Jesus Christ is all about continuing.

Continue In Goodness And Integrity

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The fourth point in the continuators charge is this. Continuing is goodness. That word goodness means excellence and character. It means gentleness, kindness. These are fruits of the spirit of the fruit of the spirit as well. Integrity. Continue in that. When somebody is mean and hurtful, don't come down to their level. Walk in your integrity. Walk in excellence. That's how we're to continue. We're not to continue and degrade ourselves and fall back into that which God has set us free from. We don't do that as believers. We continue in the goodness of God. This is the word of God. Romans 11, 22. Behold, therefore, the goodness and severity of God on them which fail, severity, but toward thee goodness. If thou continue in his goodness. Otherwise, thou also shall be cut off. I personally wouldn't want to be cut off. That's an awful feeling being cut off. I can't even equate this really to what it would be if you were cut off from God. Bible talks about that, being cut off without remedy. Continue in his goodness. Number five, continue in prayer.

Continue In Prayer And Doctrine

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As you grow and as you mature in the Lord, you will find that you will find yourself often praying, talking to the Lord. Colossians 4 2. Continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving. In other words, praying and thanking God for what He's done. Number six, continue in doctrine. We find this in 1 Timothy 4, 16. Take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee. That word doctrine means teaching and instruction. There is a benefit out of continuing in these things. What you will be known as, what you will carry, is not the best

Faithfulness, Baptism, And Walking It Out

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singer in the church, not the best preacher in the conference. You're going to be known for is a believer that is faithful. Let's go to John. The book of John. And I want to go to chapter 8. Verse 31. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him. Ephesians chapter one and verse one. Paul is greeting this great church at Ephesus. Powerful church. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, just like you, you're a believer, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. Every worker that Paul the apostle ever had with them, the number one thing he brings up about them is they were faithful. And that's what makes a faithful believer. Faithful to the promise that you made to the Lord. When you ask Jesus to forgive you of all your sin, when you ask Jesus to come into your heart, When you ask Jesus to be now Lord of your life, you're now going to walk that out, and you're going to be faithful. You're going to get baptized in water. Acts 2.38. Repent and be baptized. Every one of you. In the name of Jesus. We walk that out.

Closing Exhortation And Subscribe

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We allow the Lord to fill us with His Holy Ghost. We walk in the Spirit. Hallelujah. Continuing on in the Lord is the best thing that you can do as a believer. You have dreams and things that you want to fulfill, and they will be fulfilled. But they'll only be fulfilled if you continue to follow and to know the Lord.

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