Sermons by Bishop Shemmy Makelele th 28 June 2010 How to Obtain Maximum Results from the Word of God Part 1 HOW TO OBTAIN MAXIMUM RESULTS FROM THE WORD OF GOD PART 1 Heb 4:2 For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. Mat 13:23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty." The word of God is full of GodвЂ™s grace and power to change our lives. However, if we donвЂ™t know how to handle the word of God it will not produce results in our lives nor change our circumstances. The writer of the Book of Hebrews points out the following concerning some believers who heard the word: п‚· п‚· п‚· They did not profit from the word The word produced no results. The word did not add any value to their lives. Even though the word of God is loaded with blessings, it is possible that we can get nothing from the word. The believers we read about in Hebrews 4:2 got nothing from the word. We do not get results from the word of God because we do not know how to handle the word and how to make the word of God workable and profitable in our lives. The purpose of my teaching is to empower believers with spiritual principles which will help them to obtain maximum results from the word of God. WHAT IS THE WORD OF GOD Notice that the Bible likens the word of God to items and substances which are common to all of us. Luke 8:11- says that the word of God is a SEED What a farmer does for a seed to germinate and grow, a believer should do for the word to produce results. Psalm 119:105- Your word is a LAMP What a person does for a lamp to give light a believer should do in order for the word to benefit him/her. В© 2010 www.apostolicbreakthrough.com Page 1 Sermons by Bishop Shemmy Makelele th 28 June 2010 How to Obtain Maximum Results from the Word of God Part 1 Jeremiah 23:29- Is not my word like a HAMMER, declares the Lord What a person does for the hammer to work for him/her a believer should do for the word to work for him/her. Ephesians 6:17- THE SWORD of the spirit, which is the word of God What a soldier does to the sword in order to win the battle a believer should do to the word in order to win the battles of life. It is interesting to observe that the above mentioned items cannot work for us unless we do something. Similarly the word of God cannot work for us unless we do something. The believers we read about in Hebrews 4:2 did not profit from the word because they did not mix it with faith. It is what you do with the word that determines whether the word works for you or not. WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH THE WORD IN ORDER FOR IT TO PRODUCE RESULTS IN MY LIFE? 1. STUDY THE WORD OF GOD Studying brings understanding. We cannot benefit from what we do not understand. If we are ignorant about the word of God it will not benefit us. Mat 13:19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. We have breakthroughs in areas where we have understanding of the word of God. Knowledge is power. What we understand works for us. 2. HEAR THE WORD Romans 10:17- faith comes by hearing the word of God. When we hear the word it imparts faith in our spirit. Without faith we cannot receive from God. The word produces faith in us.r Mark 4:24- What we repeatedly hear becomes our life doctrine. If you donвЂ™t hear the word of God it will not work for you. Your faith is stronger in what you repeatedly hear. If you repeatedly hear teachings on Divine healing you faith will grow stronger in that area. 3. MEDITATE ON THE WORD To meditate is to reflect, to ponder, to make a quiet sound or to be in deep thought. Meditation is a channel through which we transfer the word and thoughts from the mind to our spirit. В© 2010 www.apostolicbreakthrough.com Page 2 Sermons by Bishop Shemmy Makelele th 28 June 2010 How to Obtain Maximum Results from the Word of God Part 1 Joshua 1:8- Meditate upon it day and night. Psalm 1:2- On his law he meditates. A believer should meditate on GodвЂ™s law. Philip 4:8- What we should meditate on. The Bible advises us on the things we should meditate on. 4. KEEP THE WORD IN YOUR HEART Prov 4:20-23- The heart is the wellspring of life. What we keep in our hearts is what we feast on. And out of the abundance of the heart we speak. If we keep the word in our hearts we feast on the word all the time. We transfer the word into our hearts through meditation and memorizing of scripture. Psalm 119:11- keeping the word in our hearts is a safe guard against sin. 5. CONFESS THE WORD To confess the word is to declare the word over the circumstances of life. The word confession comes from a Greek word, Homologeo, homo- same and lego-speak. Therefore to confess is to be in agreement with what God has declared over a situation of my life. Numbers 14:28- God acts upon the confessions of our mouths. 6. PRAY THE WORD To pray the word is translating the word into prayer language. When we pray the word: п‚· п‚· п‚· We remind God of his promises over our lives. It helps us to pray the will of God over a situation. It becomes a point of contact for GodвЂ™s intervention. {Jeremiah 1:12} 7. ACT UPON THE WORD We must put the word of God into action for it to work for us. It is doing what the word of God says we should do. Acting upon the word of God is a step of faith. James 1:22- Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. В© 2010 www.apostolicbreakthrough.com Page 3 Sermons by Bishop Shemmy Makelele th 28 June 2010 How to Obtain Maximum Results from the Word of God Part 1 8. OBEY THE WORD Deuteronomy 28:1-14- Obedience is a key to blessings. To obey is to adhere and carefully carry out what the word of God expects of us. What the word of God tells us to do is a test of obedience. God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his only son. God has given us his word. And the word of God is loaded with blessings and GodвЂ™s power to change our circumstances. However we can only obtain maximum results from the word when we discover how to handle the word of God properly. God bless you and Amen. В© 2010 www.apostolicbreakthrough.com Page 4