PERCEIVING

1. PERCEIVING THE MOST SUCCESSFUL CHRISTIANS ARE THOSE WHO PERCEIVE AND HONOR THEIR SPIRITUAL PASTORS, LEADERS AND MINISTERS

2. Perceiving • acknowledge, understand, apprehend, notice • To discern • Seeing far beyond • To become aware of something through senses

3. Who Do we need to perceive? • The Men and Women of God. All the Leaders in your life. JEREMIAH 3:15, 16 • 15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. • 16 And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.

4. Pastors and Leaders are anointed by God. • Moses appointed and anointed to lead the Israelite. When God met Moses in the burning Bush 1 Sam. 10:1 Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?

5. The people of God should perceive their pastors because they are anointed and ordained by God. God uses Man and woman of God who is in authority to anoint them. • God has destined us to have a pastor or man of God over our lives. God will use them to lead us to our God given destiny. • I Cor 4:15 • 15 For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

6. Why are they anointed and chosen by God? 1 Sam 16 – Prophet Samuel Anoints David. • God looks in the heart not in outside appearance. • It’s about character. A pastor has a heart for the souls especially the lost one. • It is not a glamorous thing to do. Like David taking care of a sheep. He risk his life just to make sure his sheep are safe from the wolves or any dangerous animal trying to kill them.

7. 1 Timothy 3:4 It tells about the qualifications of a leader specially Pastors • Pastors should posses desire to serve • Pastors must be vigilant (watchful over those he leads) • Pastors has to be just • Pastors must be in good behavior • And etc … etc… etc…

8. Pastors comes from the Heart of God • The Pastors are controlled by God, they listen to the Heart of God and feed God’s people and give them understanding. • Jeremiah 23:4 • 4 And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.

9. It is God who placed them and it is one God who can remove them. Example: David and Saul David discern that Saul is sinning in the Lord but he also discern that He is in authority at that time. Psalms 105:15 which states "Saying, touch not mine annointed, and do my prophets no harm."

10. Leaders are also human and not super heroes that cannot sin anymore. They still commit mistakes. • We are not in authority to judge them. It is God who placed them and it is God who will remove them if they don’t repented. • Our job is to pray for them. The devil will try his best to make the leaders fall. If the leaders fall, the church will fall. • God is in control!!! He places righteous leaders and removes unrighteous leaders. • Isaiah

11. Perceive yourself and others We are all anointed. The moment we receive Jesus Christ we are anointed one by faith. 2 Corinthians 1: 21, “Now he that established us with you in Christ, and anointed us , is God” Christ means – the anointed one. Anointing means the ability of Christ to work in our lives.

12. God has given us gifts for us to use. • We have a destiny in God’s Kingdom. • God perceives us. He saw something in us. We should perceive one another. Perceive the calling and gifts that God has given us. We are called to lead. Lead the people to God. There are really a specific calling God for us. Referring to the offices.

13. Benefits Of Perceiving

14. We can only receive from what we honour • MATTHEW 10:41 • 41 "He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.

15. Perceiving Leads us to our destiny • Saul perceived Samuel and Saul became king of Israel (1 Sam 9 & 10) • Elisha perceived Elijah (1 Kings 19:21, 2 Kings 2:1-13) • The Disciples perceived Jesus became Apostles • David perceived Saul became king(1 Sam 24:4-6)

16. Mark 6:3-6 • 3 "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, and Joses, and Judas, and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?" And they took offense at Him. • 4 And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his home town and among his own relatives and in his own household." • 5 And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands upon a few sick people and healed them. • 6 And He wondered at their unbelief.

17. Perceiving creates miracles • When we perceive our pastors and believe that God will use our pastors then miracles will happen. • Examples of Perceiving creating miracles • Elijah and raises widow’s son from the dead (1 Kings 17:17-24) • Jesus turning the water into wine (John 2:5) • Jesus healed to blind men who called him “Son of David” (Matt 9:27-29)

18. Perceiving creates wealth • Gen 12:3 • 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. • Example • A widow perceived the Prophet Elisha and she inquired of him because she was in debt and Elisha told her what to do and she listened and was able to pay her debt off. (2 Kings 4:1-7)

19. Perceiving creates anointing • Elisha perceived Elijah as a man of God, and he received the double portion anointing (2 Kings 2-13) • Two things we must do • Carry the burden of the Pastor • Listen and Obey your pastor • You must listen and obey what he tells you because the pastor comes from the heart of God. Even if discouraging words comes to you or distractions come, you must still listen and obey. Elisha and Elijah is example of this.

20. Ways to Perceive • Giving to the Man of God • 1 Sam 9:6-8 • 6 And he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honourable man; all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure he can show us our way that we should go. • 7 Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we? • 8 And the servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver: that will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way.

21. Ways to Perceive • Listening and Obeying • Heb 13:17 • 17 Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.

22. Submission • Submission is not used in a negative sense as world sees it, but it is used as a love word. • When you love God and you believe that he has appointed leaders over you then you will have no problem submitting because you love God and believing it’s the voice of God over your life. • PRIDE IS THE NUMBER ONE HINDRANCE OF SUBMISSION!!!

23. Submission • Sub-mission • 1 Cor 16:16 • 16 That ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and laboureth. • 5293. hupotasso, hoop-ot-as'-so; from G5259 and G5021; to subordinate; reflex. to obey:--be under obedience (obedient), put under, subdue unto, (be, make) subject (to, unto), be (put) in subjection (to, under), submit self unto. • Heb 13:17 – Word “Submit” • 5226. hupeiko, hoop-i'-ko; from G5259 and eiko (to yield, be "weak"); to surrender:--submit self. • We are surrendering are will to God’s Will • Jesus is the ultimate example in the midst of suffering when he said “Thy will be done.” (Matt 26:42) • Submission is an act of humbleness. • It is also demonstrates your loyalty (Dan 2:28-30) • Submission is a product of perceiving.

24. Romans 13:1-3 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities for there is no authority except that which God has establishes, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers, hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. DO you want to be free from fear of the one from authority? Then do what is right and HE will commend you.

25. MATTHEW 8:5-10 • 5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, • 6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. • 7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. • 8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. • 9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. • 10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.