19th Mar 2023 - Key To The Kingdom - Charles Banna & John P
19th Mar 2023 - Key To The Kingdom - Charles Banna & John P For more sermons please visit https://www.cfcindia.com/
Summary
The sermon focuses on drawing near to God with gratitude and faith, drawing strength from the remembrance of Jesus' sacrifice. The speaker encourages the congregation to count their blessings and to approach the throne of grace with a thankful heart, referencing the promise to ask, seek, and knock.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
Marching to ZionThe service begins with a joyful musical declaration of marching toward the beautiful city of God.
Entering His gates with thanksgivingA call to enter God's presence with a thankful heart and to rejoice in the day the Lord has made.
The marvelous love of the SaviorA concluding song reflecting on the wonderful and sacrificial love of Jesus demonstrated in the garden.
Opening prayer and worshipThe service begins with a prayer of gratitude to God, acknowledging His sovereignty, His victory over death, and his power to forgive sins.
The weekly memory versesThe congregation recites Psalm 3 and Matthew 7:7, focusing on God's guidance and the command to ask, seek, and knock.Matthew 7:7
The necessity of repentance and the condition for the KingdomUsing the imagery of making paths straight, the speaker explains that true repentance involves a 180-degree turn toward God and notes that being 'poor in spirit' is the requirement to enter His kingdom.Luke 3:4
What does it mean to be poor in spirit?Being poor in spirit means recognizing that we possess no inherent goodness and must come to God in absolute dependence, acknowledging our spiritual bankruptcy.Matthew 5:3
The universal requirement of repentanceJesus taught that unless people repent, they will perish, emphasizing that even those experiencing tragedy are not exempt from the need for repentance.
God's desire to restore the repentantJust as God restored Job after his humble repentance, He intends to bless those who come to a place of acknowledging their need for Him.
The humility of John the BaptistReflecting on John the Baptist's recognition that someone greater was coming, the speaker emphasizes the importance of humbling ourselves before the world and our own flesh.
Our ultimate goal is conformity to ChristRather than seeking worldly prosperity or fame, our true purpose is to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.
The multiplier of ChristUsing a mathematical analogy, the speaker explains that while we are essentially zeros, placing Jesus before us increases our value and makes us children of God.
The importance of being poor in spiritJesus taught that the key to the kingdom is being poor in spirit, which allows us to enter into a deep relationship with God.
God's desire for relationship through seekingThrough the imagery of knocking and seeking, we see that God desires a personal fellowship where He dwells within us.Revelation 3:20
The exaltation of the humbleGod scatters the proud but exalts those who are humble, filling the hungry with good things.
