Kenneth Copeland - How To Have Faith In God And Forgive
Father, we are so grateful to you for this whole week and we thank you and we praise you and we honor you for the things we have learned and the insight we have received from this man of God. This Pastor and teacher, this professor of first covenant teachings in Kenneth Copeland Bible college. And we, Oh, we thank you for it God, for what he has opened our eyes to, Father. And we give you the praise and the honor and the glory, we are so blessed to, to see, and to hear and understand and have insight and, and concepts and ideas of this faith life, and see beyond the veil and to all of the marvels and wonders of your Word. And we thank you in Jesus name. Amen.
Kenneth Copeland: Greg, get us right back into this.
Greg Stephens: We were talking about Lazarus being raised from the dead John chapter 12, 11, 12, over there. But if we could, it says the next morning he went to Jerusalem. So now this is part of the examination period. It is Passover. There are seven feast of the Lord. There's four in the springtime, Passover, unleavened bread, unleavened bread last a week, and first fruits. He will come out of the grave on first fruits, then comes Pentecost 50 days later. And then the fall feast. The first four have been fulfilled exactly to the day. We have three remaining, but aside from that, going back now, instead of John, go over to Mark chapter 11, we like that one. We like Mark chapter 11.
Kenneth Copeland: You kidding, I was born for more Mark 11, praise God.
Greg Stephens: He's coming from Bethany. You can see it in verse one. When he came nigh to Jerusalem, under Bethphage and Bethany, the Mount of olives, if you've ever been to Israel and you've come down that Mount of olives on Palm Sunday. Now we call that Palm Sunday. What they're actually doing is a fall feast during Passover. This is why the religious get so mad at it. Let's take a look at that. He gives them instructions. Verse 3, any man saying to you, why do you do this? Say that the Lord has need of him and straightway he will send him. And they went their way, found the Colt tied by the door without at a place where two ways meet. And they loosed him. And certain of them stood there and to them and they asked him, why are you doing this? And he tells him what happened. Let's go on down. And verse 7, they brought the Colt to Jesus, cast their garments on him. And he sat upon him and many spread their garments in the way and others cut down branches off the trees and straw them in the way. And as they follow, look at this, verse 9, and they went before and they that followed, cried, saying Hosanna blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord, blessed be the kingdom of our father David. Now there's calling on the covenant. Son of David David, doing this very thing. Cometh in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest. In Hebrew, they're saying Hosiana, Lord save us. Now, that's what you do in the fall feast, not the spring feast. That's the feast of Tabernacles. When the Messiah will come into Jerusalem and he will tabernacle with us, what happens is they divide them into two, the priest, some go to the pool of Siloam. Now Jesus has been there and miraculously healed a man. The others will go by this way, the Mount of olives. And they'll come with Palm branches. These guys will come with water from the pool, cleansing, ritual water in a pot and a pitcher coming from there. This one will come from this way. And they're waving the Palm branches, crying Hosanna save us. Now during Passover, this isn't Passover. That's not Passover, but during Passover, they just spontaneously start doing this. As Jesus is coming into the city, this is why the rabbis said, make them stop. Well, that's a very interesting thing if you've ever been to the Mount of olives, there's a whole lot of graves there to this day. There's graves of the prophets right down at the bottom. Some of the prophets that prophesied about Jesus are buried right there. They come through, he says, make them stop. He said, if I make them stop, these rocks will cry out. What rocks? The rocks that those prophets that prophesied about him. Cause they've written about me.
Kenneth Copeland: The tomb is right there.
Greg Stephens: The tombs right there, they wrote about me and they'll cry out if you make them stop doing this, because it's there to them it's the wrong time. We don't celebrate Sukkot at Passover, this is Passover. But now here's the interesting thing as he goes they follow him blessed be the kingdom of our father of David that cometh. Jesus enters into Jerusalem and into temple.
Kenneth Copeland: Yes.
Greg Stephens: And when he looked around about all the things, look at that, he's looking around, he doesn't say anything. He looked around about all things and now the even time was come. He went out into Bethany with the 12th. So he goes in and just kind of observes everything that's happening. Now, he goes back out to Bethany. And then this is when he curses the fig tree. And we talked about that and why he did that. Now they're going to come back to the temple and he's going to cleanse the temple. And then he's going to get into one of the greatest teachings about faith in the temple. When you get on down here, he overthrows once again, verse 15, they came to Jerusalem, went into the temple, began to cast out them that sold and bought the temple over through the tables of the money changers. It was corrupt what they were doing. These people have to have a sacrifice at Passover and they're overcharging them and they're finding something wrong with what you brought. There's something wrong with that one. And then they take it and sell you another one at a high cost. And then they're going to sell the next...
Kenneth Copeland: It's a con deal.
Greg Stephens: Oh, that's exactly what it is. And look at verse 16 is interesting. When we talked about Cana of Galilee, we talked about the upper room, and would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. We're only going to carry vessels of honor in here. Look at here. It is not written- He makes a change here now from the first time he cleansed the temple at the beginning of his ministry and he taught saying unto them, is it not written my house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer. Now he's included the nations. This is the last Passover he is including us with the Jews because there's a Gentile...
Kenneth Copeland: Because what we're called is the nations.
Greg Stephens: Yes, sir. That's what we're called. And, but you've made it a den of thieves and the scribes and the chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy them, destroy him for, they feared him because all the people were astonished at his doctrine. And then when evening was come, he went out of the city. Notice he's not staying there. He's in and out until that final night he'll stay there. And then the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter calling to remembrance said to him, master behold, the fig tree, which thou cursed is withered away. And Jesus answered and said unto them have faith in God. Or have the God kind of faith. Now, right there he begins to teach them how this New Covenant is going to operate.
Kenneth Copeland: That's right.
Greg Stephens: It's going to operate.
Kenneth Copeland: Whosoever shall say.
Greg Stephens: Yes, didn't say the Jews.
Kenneth Copeland: No, whosoever. So he's still referring to the nations.
Greg Stephens: Yes, sir.
Kenneth Copeland: He's introduced to that, and so now he's bringing us into that place of faith.
Greg Stephens: We have been, we've been, I'll put it this way, Grafted in.
Kenneth Copeland: Yes we have.
Greg Stephens: To the covenant of promise. One time we were strangers from the covenants, and now we're about to be brought into it. And he's teaching you and I really, how we're gonna operate in this because we don't have a birth certificate that says I'm Jewish.
Kenneth Copeland: That's right.
Greg Stephens: But I do have a covenant because of the faith of Abraham right here. For verily I say unto you that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, now I'm a whosoever.
Kenneth Copeland: Yes, sir.
Greg Stephens: Be thou removed, be cast in the sea, shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe those things which he said shall come to pass. He shall have whatsoever he saith. Now interesting, all the things he says and believes how much we do believing and how much we do saying in this past year, you've taught on that. I've heard you preach on how many times we say something versus how many times we believe it. But notice the first thing he did in that chapter, he goes into that temple he's not really saying anything.
Kenneth Copeland: That's right. Cause he only said what he heard his father says. And he only did what he saw his father do. He didn't hear his father say anything, and he didn't see his father do anything. So he just went home and slept on it.
Greg Stephens: Oh my. Yeah. Yeah. Prayed all night long. Yes, sir.
Kenneth Copeland: He had a way of doing that. Just pray, and he can see himself then doing what he had to do. He had different messages each time he went back to that temple. He had a different thing to say. He's teaching his own staff, the apostles of the lamb had to understand the power of their words, the power of forgiveness, the power of the love of God. Amen. They were all looking for military power to shut up the kingdom of God and so forth because they believed he was Messiah. And Peter said he was, but...
Greg Stephens: Matter of fact when the Samaritans don't receive him, at one point they asked, should we call fire down on him? And this is, this is a moment he, if you'll read this, he's on his way to Jerusalem. Scripture says he set his face. I mean like Flint, Oh he's, he's got a job about him right now. Nothing's going to get in the way of this. And so they said, should we call down fire on these guys?
Kenneth Copeland: Cause they didn't come out.
Greg Stephens: Yes.
Kenneth Copeland: They didn't come out and see what...
Greg Stephens: That's exactly right. And he said, you don't know what is spiritual. And in other words, this is not the way we're going to operate.
Kenneth Copeland: No, not the way we operate.
Greg Stephens: At all. Just because of they're ugly to us...
Kenneth Copeland: Love and faith and faith and love and love...
Greg Stephens: What's he doing? He's revealing the father and he's going to do this right here because of this is the way you're going to receive anything from my father. Once I'm gone, this is how this whole thing is going to operate right here.
Kenneth Copeland: There's another thing there that he told Nicodemus.
Greg Stephens: Yes. Who came to him by night.
Kenneth Copeland: Yeah. And said, whosoever believeth on me shall not perish, but have everlasting life. It's the same whosoever.
Greg Stephens: That's exactly right.
Kenneth Copeland: Whosoever. And that he included the whole world when he said whosoever believes in me. But God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth on me will not perish but have everlasting life. Then he comes right around and said, whosoever shall say unto this mountain.
Greg Stephens: Now here's the interesting thing about that religious leader Nicodemus, here's an interesting thing about that. He can't get his head wrapped around this. He's still looking at his, he says, how am I going to be born again? Am I going to go into my mother's womb? How does that happen? He can't wrap his brain around that this covenant is by faith and the finished work of the Messiah that's coming. He's still looking to the natural of that. Interesting he came to him at night because then Jesus is going to be teaching about light, children of the light. Not in the night.
Kenneth Copeland: And it ain't all that good to be seen with him in the daytime.
Greg Stephens: No, no. Not in his position.
Kenneth Copeland: No, not in his position. No, no, no, no, no.
Greg Stephens: But many of those guys began to believe when they saw these things. I think guys that were intellectually and spiritually honest in their calling to be priest, they were looking at that and saying, this is the starting line up.
Kenneth Copeland: This is lining up.
Greg Stephens: I'm starting, it's like we have a sense now about us that his coming is soon. I believe that there were those in his day that that saw, well, we know they did. When he went to the temple and his circumcision, there, there was um, Simeon and Anna.
Kenneth Copeland: The prayers knew who he was.
Greg Stephens: They knew exactly who he was. And they, they had waited and stayed there until they saw him. And so they, they saw that. So you get out of here into this 11th chapter, therefore I said, verse 24. Therefore I say unto you, what things soever you desire when you pray, believe that you received them you shall have them. And when you stand praying forgive. They're going to be put, think of this now, this is the last week. This is just days.
Kenneth Copeland: I mean, it's just right, right at hand.
Greg Stephens: Yes. They're going to have an opportunity to forgive, to need to forgive. They're going to have to forgive each other. They're going to have to forgive Judas. They're going to have to forgive Roman soldiers. Lot of priests that were part of that. The mob that was, here's this mob praising him, and some of that same mob is maybe some of that same mob, I don't want to cast dispersions on everybody, but there's a mob there. You're going to have to forgive. He's teaching them right now. The only way this thing's going to work is if you're going to start talking like my dad does.
Kenneth Copeland: Oh, isn't that good?
Greg Stephens: And when you stand praying forgive if you have ought against any. He didn't say against Jews or Gentiles, that your father also, which is in heaven, may forgive you your trespasses, but if you do not forgive, neither will your father, which is in heaven, forgive you your trespasses. And then he goes on and says, they came again to Jerusalem and he was walking in the temple. There comes up to him, chief priests, scribes, and the elders. And they ask by what authority are you here? Here they go. They're examining again. So he's already taught them about forgiveness before this starts happening. Because that's what's going to have to happen with them. By what authority does thou do these things? And who gave you the authority to do these things? Jesus said unto them, I will ask you one question. I've learned this about him. Cause it's happened to me. I've asked questions and have gotten questions back.
Kenneth Copeland: Oh yeah.
Greg Stephens: In my spirit. Yeah, that happened.
Kenneth Copeland: And a lot of times you just know in your head.
Greg Stephens: I heard one time in my spirit, do you trust me? Yes, Lord. I trust you. Greg, do you trust me? Second time. By the third time, I'm like, obviously I don't. So help me, help me with that because Brother Copeland I'm one that, and I don't mean this in a negative way. It can go negative. I question everything. I mean, you've got to give me three verses on that. I got that from Brother Hagin. Being around him. You got to give me verse on that. I got to see that in the Word before I just run after it. And that's a good thing. But trust is, here is the answer I got, trust requires unanswered questions. Cause I'm always asking him questions and there's some places that I have to just trust by faith. And I've trusted in his character and his nature and his Word.
Kenneth Copeland: Praise God. Amen.
Greg Stephens: He comes up right here and he goes, I'll ask you one question, you answer me I'll tell you by what authority I do these things. He says the baptism of John, heaven or men?
Kenneth Copeland: So they're, they're trapped either way they go.
Greg Stephens: Yup. Cause if we say this, then that group is mad at him. And there's an example if you're a minister of the gospel, you're not going to please everybody in your congregation. If you try to please everybody, you're gonna mess things up. Just do what you hear your father say to you.
Kenneth Copeland: I was praying. No, this is just last night. And well the Lord woke me up very early this morning. And I heard this. What is the job of a pastor? Now, I'm not a pastor, but I can read. And you've you've pastored.
Greg Stephens: Yes, sir.
Kenneth Copeland: And you're functioning as associate pastor at EMIC. What is the job of a pastor? Feed my sheep.
Greg Stephens: That's it. That's it.
Kenneth Copeland: He didn't say pray for my sheep. He didn't say, you know, look out after their families, the first job is feed them. Feed my sheep, feed my sheep, feed my sheep. Anything He says three times you better listen to him. Feed my sheep.
Greg Stephens: Said that to Peter three times, Peter denied him three times. So it's reinstate him.
Kenneth Copeland: Yeah. And he finally, Agape was too much so he finally came down to natural love, but he said feed my sheep.
Greg Stephens: Did the same thing with David. Same thing with David. David's is watching somebody else's sheep. Does the same thing with Moses. Moses is in the backside of the desert, from the palace to watching somebody else's sheep. And I came to the realization, they're his sheep.
Kenneth Copeland: They're his sheep.
Greg Stephens: My job is to feed them.
Kenneth Copeland: Now, of course, as a pastor, you're not only feed his sheep, but then you take care of those sheep. And I was thinking that last night I was thinking about the 23rd Psalm, the first thing that David said that very first thing he said, what does a shepherd do? He feeds the lambs. He takes them besides Stillwater, where they have something to drink, but he takes him into green pastures and feeds them. He feeds them. Well of course he protects them, but he's first job is to feed them. Feed the sheep, feed the sheep, feed them. And I just woke up very early and I'm thinking about all of this and getting ready to come, you know, do this today. And where we are today, and I know, I'm talking about I'm number one, guilty in this ministry now I was the founder of the church. I'm not a pastor, never was called to be a pastor. Didn't want to be, it would have been out of the will of God if I'd even tempted to. But I mean, pastor George, what a great pastor. I get involved with him, and man, you know, I'm not thinking about feeding the sheep I'm thinking about...
Greg Stephens: So let me show you something because you brought up pastor George. I want to talk about him for a second. There's not an example of a pastor. We have examples of prophets, we know Timothy was one, but we don't know a lot about him.
Kenneth Copeland: Yeah.
Greg Stephens: Jesus says, I'm the good shepherd.
Kenneth Copeland: I'm the good shepherd.
Greg Stephens: There's the pastor. So the only example we have of a pastor is Jesus. So what are some characteristics of Jesus? Well, first of all, he's a kid magnet. Suffer the little children to come in here. You get around pastor George, any length of time, the kids all over him. And so I see Jesus, I see that anointing of pastor on him because there are certain characteristics hey are like Jesus. They are so like Jesus, that's a pastor, because they're so like him, he's not willing that any should be lost, not willing for any of those disciples. And he'll pray that in John chapter 17, you'll see his prayer.
Kenneth Copeland: Praise God.
Greg Stephens: Glory to God.
Kenneth Copeland: Thank you, Jesus.
Greg Stephens: That's who he is. And we have a good shepherd who leads us into good green pastures by side Stillwater that's not going to drown us or sweep us away, but see, all of that is a picture of rest.
Kenneth Copeland: Yes it is.
Greg Stephens: He provides a place where you can come get refreshed in a church service and rest for the fivefold ministry gift to send you back out for the work of the ministry.
Kenneth Copeland: And we're out of time. Oh my. Hasn't this been absolutely incredible? Praise God!