Lessons from the past brighten the past to the future.

STEAL AWAY WITH JESUS

Many of our historical songs carried dual meanings, such as:

1.     Let us break bread together on our knees

a.      Code for a secret meeting and gathering

b.    Planning and Prayer

2.    Go down Moses

a.      Moses = the conductor   (Harriett Tubman, John Brown, Sojourner Truth, etc.

Pharaoh = the slaveholder

Israel = the Slaves

Egypt = Bondage

Promise Land = the Freedom

3.    Deep River

River = the freedom road

Crossing Jordan = Freedom from bondage

The song that is sang “Steal Away” has within it two distinct messages, which speak both to the natural and spiritual status of our lives.  On the nature it speaks to Deliverance and escaping slavery, the slaveholder and the troubles of this world to a world of freedom.  On the Spiritual it addresses our Redemption and Salvation in Jesus.

As a message to slaves it assured them of freedom.  It gave direction to escape the brutal slaveholder something like this; 

Steal away, steal away, steal away when you hear the thunder it will be the trumpet sound of encouragement and strength to run because you ain’t got long to stay here.  The trees that are willowed provide cover for poor frighten runaways remember you ain’t got long to stay here.  Steal away, steal away, steal away.

It tells us that there is an experience to be had.  Just to steal away with Jesus is all you need to do and learn and everything is going to be alright.  Just a little time with him will make it alright. Freedom is in stealing away with Jesus.

Many Christians are not taught or told how to steal away with the master they are being told just to praise and worship him but not to steal away with him.  Maybe this style or form of serving the Master is not as acceptable and is for some inappropriate in a collective worship setting.

Stealing away does imply intent of reason and our willingness to hear, which is allowing ourselves to be influenced and enlighten with His love and truths.  Whether in secrecy, private, silence, quietness or your special closet you must seek to experience Jesus for yourself.  

But our stealing away has been relegated to the church house where high performance and high praise occurs most often and to consider other approaches would be an affront to our contemporary method and mode of worship and seeking God in a very personal way.

It could be there is an unwillingness to share this vast knowledge of STEALING AWAYWITH JESUS because there is lack of this practical experience on the part of leadership and is it easier and more preferable to continue more accepted practices. Therefore no instruction about the how two’s and the benefits derived from experiencing Jesus in this special way is demonstrated on a consistent basis.  The mourners bench has been removed and the alter has been done away with in most settings.

Like anything that you have ever learned it took practice before you gain knowledge and experience. Experiencing Jesus in your own special way will takes this same level of understanding.  And practice will make perfect.  Let me say it like this:  It takes Experience before belief enters our lives.  None can know it except you experience it.  It is a state of unknown until we experience it. 

You were told “Don’t touch that hot stove or iron you’re gonna  get burned we were told, but nonetheless we had to touch it for ourselves to discover the truth. 

You can read about Tiger Wood’s golf swing but until you experience it.  You have no experience.  It is still in the theoretical stage.

Steal Away with Jesus will be reinvigorating and enlightening for the practitioner, but most of all you will be like the disciples when they came back from their mission field stating “even the devils are subject unto us”.

LUKE 10

ü  17.  And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.

 18.  And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

 19.  Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

 20.  Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

ü  21.  In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.

 22.  All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.

Here is something to consider: 

Do you know you can be in the physical and not be influenced by the spiritual but cannot be in the spiritual and not influence the physical?

“The physical ain’t moving anything spiritual”

Case:

 Jesus often talked about the Sanhedrin, Scribes and Pharisees for their pomp and pretense and call them blind leading the blind.  So you can be in church but it doesn’t mean church is in you.  This is simply playing church.  It the physical but corresponding with the spiritual and this can be disastrous to ones holistic well being because there is no balance. 

When your spiritual insight is keen it directly impacts the physical nature and has the capacity to override or interrupt physical reality.  It supersedes and intervenes in our daily life.

Jesus was physically beaten and tortured in his body, but his spiritual composure was in tack, therefore causing the physical pain, sorrow and agony to be overshadowed by victory.  Oh death where is thy sting where is thy victory!  Death has been swallowed up in victory!

Preached by:

Rev. Sylvester Williams, Jr.

February 10, 2008

John 4                       “ The Woman Stealing Away At The Well”

                              Being with the Spiritual (Jesus) changed the physical

 1.  When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,

 2.  (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)

 3.  He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee.

 4.  And he must needs go through Samaria.

 5.  Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

 6.  Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

ü  7.  There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.

 8.  (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)

 9.  Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

ü  10.  Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

 11.  The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?

 12.  Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

 13.  Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

ü  14.  But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

 15.  The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

 16.  Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

 17.  The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:

 18.  For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

Ø  19.  The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

 20.  Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

 21.  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

 22.  Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

ü  23.  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

ü  24.  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

 25.  The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.

ü  26.  Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

 27.  And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?

Ø  28.  The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,

Ø  29.  Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?

Ø  30.  Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.

Matthew 4

 1.  Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

 2.  And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

 3.  And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

ü  4.But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

 5.  Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

 6.  And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

 7.  Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

 8.  Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

 9.  And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

ü  10.  Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

 11.  Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

 12.  Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;

 13.  And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:

 14.  That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,

 15.  The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;

ü  16.  The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

ü  17.  From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

 18.  And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

 19.  And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

 20.  And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

MATTHEW 19

13.  Then were there brought unto him little children that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.

ü  14.  But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

 15.  And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.

ü  23.  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.

ü  24.  And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

 25.  When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?

 26.  But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.