DeanSweetman.com » Revelation http://deansweetman.com Sermons, Podcasts and Teachings to Live Your Best Life Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:23:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Dean Sweetman is Sr Pastor of the C3 Church with a campus in Lawrenceville, Georgia. He also serves as Executive Regional Overseer for C3 Americas. The Sweetmans moved to the USA in 1996 for the sole purpose of planting the Lawrenceville church. C3 Church currently serves the Atlanta community in a unique way through itís technology and charity work. Last year, Dean and Jill planted the C3 Church in Studio City, California. As Sr Pastors of both churches, they split their time between Atlanta and Studio City and have homes in both cities. Dean is a sought-after speaker in both church and business settings and an emerging author. His passionate and uncompromising preaching will inspire the most on-fire believer as challenge those who lack the fervor required to serve God. C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA clean C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA webmaster@christiancitychurch.com webmaster@christiancitychurch.com (C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA) C3 Atlanta Online with Dean Sweetman DeanSweetman.com » Revelation http://audio.thec3church.com/podcasticon.jpg http://deansweetman.com/category/revelation/ The Pool of Silom – or – Mud in Your Eye http://deansweetman.com/2010/05/02/the-pool-of-silom-or-mud-in-your-eye/ http://deansweetman.com/2010/05/02/the-pool-of-silom-or-mud-in-your-eye/#comments Sun, 02 May 2010 16:53:07 +0000 Dean http://deansweetman.com/?p=251 John 9: 1-38 (NLT): As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”
“It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.”
Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!
His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said he was, and others said, “No, he just looks like him!”
But the beggar kept saying, “Yes, I am the same one!”
They asked, “Who healed you? What happened?”
He told them, “The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.’ So I went and washed, and now I can see!”
“Where is he now?” they asked.
“I don’t know,” he replied.
Then they took the man who had been blind to the Pharisees, because it was on the Sabbath that Jesus had made the mud and healed him. The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So he told them, “He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!”
Some of the Pharisees said, “This man Jesus is not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath.” Others said, “But how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs?” So there was a deep division of opinion among them.
Then the Pharisees again questioned the man who had been blind and demanded, “What’s your opinion about this man who healed you?”
The man replied, “I think he must be a prophet.”
The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and could now see, so they called in his parents. They asked them, “Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see?”
His parents replied, “We know this is our son and that he was born blind, but we don’t know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue. That’s why they said, “He is old enough. Ask him.”
So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, “God should get the glory for this, because we know this man Jesus is a sinner.”
“I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!”
“But what did he do?” they asked. “How did he heal you?”
“Look!” the man exclaimed. “I told you once. Didn’t you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?”
Then they cursed him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses! We know God spoke to Moses, but we don’t even know where this man comes from.”
“Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where he comes from? We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.”
“You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue.
When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.”
“You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!”
“Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus.

There are seven miracles recorded in the Book of John set before the Crucifixtion. Each story is written with several layers. This story is no different. It is a story about an encounter with God that leads to a slowly unfolding revelation. The first hint is the word John uses to descibe this man’s blindness. It is not the usual word for “someone who cannot see.” It actually means general blindness.

Now, let’s start at the beginning. Jesus is walking along with His disciples when He sees a blind guy. His disciples see Him as well and begin to question the origin of the man’s blindness. It was the belief of the time that sin caused sickness. Jesus immediately refutes that belief with the truth: he is blind so the power of God can been seen through him. Jesus is about to shake up this young man’s life in the most radical way! He proceeds to spit on the ground, make clay from it, and then rubs it all over the man’s eyes. This guy has not met Jesus; Jesus and the disciples were talking about him without talking to him; and then, suddenly, he gets spit on. Then, Jesus tells him to go to the PUBLIC pool of Silom to wash. This guy can’t see. He’s probably never been to the pool of Silom. But, without any help, he does as he is told.

He find the pool, washes, and, BOOM, he can see! He walks out his miracle! Sometimes, we have an encounter with God that shakes up our world but requires us to go a step further. He requires us to walk out the miracle. Jesus has healed several people in several different ways. He is capable of the instant heal (which we all love and want for Him to do for us), but some times, He requires us to walk it out by faith. This is what this man had to do. He had to walk by faith to achieve his miracle. And he did! But the story does not end there.

He goes home. His friends immediately begin to question him about what happened. He says, “The man called Jesus…” Jesus, a man, healed him. That is his first understanding of who it was whom he encountered while begging. His friends don’t believe him. And soon, the Pharisees come in. They are perturbed by the fact that someone worked on the Sabbath. Jesus made clay! He isn’t supposed to do that on the Sabbath! They are so locked in their religious rules that they can’t see the miracle in front of them. Religion is a killer. It stops us from encountering God. The man’s parents could not even rejoice over the fact that their son was healed out of fear of being kicked out of their religious bubble.

The Pharisees interogate the man. They want to know who did this. The man then answers that it was Jesus, a prophet! The revelation is continuing to unfold. First, Jesus is a man. now, he is a prophet. The Pharisees protest that he is a sinner. The man counters with an understanding that he, himself, does not know what all the rules and regulations (religion) dictates concerning this event, but all he knows is that he was blind and now he can see. He had an encounter with God. Jesus came in and shook up his world. And now, he can see. Then, he goes the bold and decalres himself a disciple of this man/prophet Jesus whom he has not ever seen, but he heard the disicples call him Rabbi and decided that he, too, wants to follow him. Jesus, the man, the prophet, and now the rabbi; the revelation continues to unfold.

The Pharisees kick the man out. He is cut off from the social religious norm. He is left alone to wander. That is when Jesus finds him. In life, God intervenes and shakes up our world. He puts his finger on an area of our lives that we are blind to and wants to shake us out of it. He wants us to see it, to heal from it, to overcome the thing holding us back–fear, broken home, addiction, failing marriage, bankrupcy. He shakes up our world, and then He withdraws to watch and wait as we walk it out. he wants us to trust in Him. So, we walk it out. And then, the world turns against us. Our friends and even family want to pull us back into the box that is the safe social norm where no one upsets the status quo. Your stepping out in faith angers them, and they try to pull you back down. But, you push on; you make a stand for God. And then, Jesus finds you.

Jesus heard what had happened. Jesus knows what is going on in your world. When He finds you, He knows what is going on. Jesus heard what had happened to this man. He asks, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” The man answers, “Yes, I want to. Tell me where He is!” This man has declared himself a disciple. He wants to follow Jesus. Jesus replies, “How have seen Him. And He is speaking to you.” The man falls to his knees before Jesus, declaring, “Yes, Lord!” Capital “L.” And he worships Jesus publically. From man, to prophet, to rabbi, to Lord, to God. The revelation is complete. This man has had his life transformed by the real the living God.

God wants to do something radical in our worlds. He will come in and intervene; either through church or someone speaking into our worlds; He comes in and shakes us up. He does something radical, frightening, amazing, and completely against the social norm to motivate us out of the place holding us back. He pushes us to walk out the miracle. We take teh steps of faith, trusting in Him to do what it is He promised to do; and as we walk in faith, the revelation unfolds and the miracle happens. No more staying at the same level. Will you let God shake you up so you can experience Him?

]]> http://deansweetman.com/2010/05/02/the-pool-of-silom-or-mud-in-your-eye/feed/ 0 John 9: 1-38 (NLT): As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins? John 9: 1-38 (NLT): As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.” Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing! His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said he was, and others said, “No, he just looks like him!” But the beggar kept saying, “Yes, I am the same one!” They asked, “Who healed you? What happened?” He told them, “The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.’ So I went and washed, and now I can see!” “Where is he now?” they asked. “I don’t know,” he replied. Then they took the man who had been blind to the Pharisees, because it was on the Sabbath that Jesus had made the mud and healed him. The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So he told them, “He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man Jesus is not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath.” Others said, “But how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs?” So there was a deep division of opinion among them. Then the Pharisees again questioned the man who had been blind and demanded, “What’s your opinion about this man who healed you?” The man replied, “I think he must be a prophet.” The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and could now see, so they called in his parents. They asked them, “Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see?” His parents replied, “We know this is our son and that he was born blind, but we don’t know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue. That’s why they said, “He is old enough. Ask him.” So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, “God should get the glory for this, because we know this man Jesus is a sinner.” “I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!” “But what did he do?” they asked. “How did he heal you?” “Look!” the man exclaimed. “I told you once. Didn’t you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?” Then they cursed him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses! We know God spoke to Moses, but we don’t even know where this man comes from.” “Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where he comes from? We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.” “You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue. When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.” C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA clean 25:33 Progressive and Unfolding Revelations http://deansweetman.com/2008/03/27/progressive-and-unfolding-revelations/ http://deansweetman.com/2008/03/27/progressive-and-unfolding-revelations/#comments Thu, 27 Mar 2008 04:31:59 +0000 Dean http://deanandjill.com/2008/03/27/progressive-and-unfolding-revelations/ A lot of times when we pray for God to move it isn’t instantaneous. Most of the time God isn’t in a hurry to bring about his purpose. He is always moving, but is moving us on a journey to strengthen our faith. We stand on the Bible concerning the promises God has made to us. When we believe, our faith latches on to the promises of God. And the way in which we live our lives should be that “just because God didn’t answer my prayer immediately doesn’t mean I am going to get discouraged in my faith.” God is working beyond what I know. I know God is doing things in my life that are beyond my knowledge because just as much as he wants to heal me and answer my prayer, he is just as concerned with the journey and the work he is doing in me. Sometimes he is preparing me for things that I don’t understand yet. It’s not until I walk the journey of faith and pursue God that I find out what God is doing in me. Sometimes even more important than my healing or deliverance or moment of breakthrough is my journey getting to that breakthrough.

It’s like Proverbs says: money easily gained is money under-appreciated. When you get things for free or without work or sacrifice you tend to appreciate them less. The process of God is incredibly powerful, and brings about progressive and unfolding revelation. My revelation of God today is different than my revelation of God ten years ago. We have progressive revelations the longer we are on the journey and are following God. We have progressive revelation about God’s love, or God’s grace, or how God wants you to bring his kingdom to Earth. The more we spend time in God’s presence, the more we are healed and the softer our hearts become. Our hearts become more open to receive. Our of the abundance of the heart our mouths speak. The words of our mouth and our attitudes indicate what God is doing or working on in our lives. Our attitudes show where we are on the journey.

When God and his presence really start to touch our lives its amazing how freed we become. God’s presence causes our hearts to melt and we are open to learn and receive revelation. God wants to bring us into his presence to bring about change in our lives and bring about these unfolding revelations, like forgiving others or having a servant’s heart. Another one of these unfolding revelations is having a love for people. The more you understand God’s heart, the more in love with people you become and the less selfish you become. A self centered is a lack of revelation of God’s love, because God’s love puts others first. The unfolding revelation of love for people manifests in changing behaviors and attitudes towards people.

Revelation is progressive. Unfolding revelation is about my understanding of the nature of God and what God is doing in my life. When we understand that we are walking on a pathway, and that although we are praying for something specific, it may not happen right away, but it doesn’t mean God isn’t moving and that you aren’t on a journey towards a change and a breakthrough. I always want to come in faith and give God an opportunity to move. I have to keep believing and let the revelation continually unfold. God is moving because he loves us and wants to bring us into an abundant life. Following him and growing your faith is just part of the journey, and part of the unfolding revelation of His nature, His plan for us and His love for us. The more revelation we receive from God the more we want to chase Him, serve Him and love Him. The more our lives change.

Paul had a revelation of God’s forgiveness, and specifically his forgiveness of the Gentiles. He challenged the Jews and the early church who still clung to the law. He said the law is like a curse! “God gave me a revelation of forgiveness by faith and not by works.” As the revelation is unfolding, just keep moving. Whether things happen the way you think they should or not, just keep believing. Trust that God has heard your prayers and is moving in your life and just keep moving. Just keep walking. Keep thanking God. Keep your heart soft. Just because you don’t understand what is going on, God is always bigger. Just because you don’t understand what God is doing doesn’t mean He isn’t moving. Don’t stop – have faith – sustainable, permanent faith. It is freeing when you get to the point that you know God is bigger, you know God is moving and you are going to pursue Him no matter what. When you get in the zone, breakthrough happens and revelation keeps unfolding. A lot of the time the things you were praying for change without you knowing it.

]]> http://deansweetman.com/2008/03/27/progressive-and-unfolding-revelations/feed/ 0 Change through Revelation http://deansweetman.com/2008/01/18/change-through-revelation/ http://deansweetman.com/2008/01/18/change-through-revelation/#comments Fri, 18 Jan 2008 17:41:33 +0000 Dean http://deanandjill.com/2008/01/18/change-through-revelation/ Changing is the most difficult thing in the world. Changing my attitude and my behavior. Changing how I see and perceive things. Changing the filter through which I see things and that defines my world view and how I live my life. Changing these things is one of the hardest things you will ever do.

The filter or prism that we look through defines how we see life and can change how we see God. If you were raised to believe that God is angry with you, that is how you will view God and it will affect your actions. If you were raised in an abusive home, that will affect how you see – and possibly treat your own family. The Bible gives us an amazing way to change how we see things. It doesn’t really matter how we see things because many times our prism is not reality. It’s our perception. We see certain things and they become our reality. But when I change the way I see things, I can discover God’s reality – discover the truth and discover how God sees. To start out this new year, we are going to shift the prism we look through and stop living in an environment that never allows us to tap in to what God has for us.

Paul was the master of seeing that people’s lives could be changed by seeing things through God’s eyes. He was amazing leader, because he didn’t see people as they were, but as they could become. You have to take a leadership responsibility of your own life, and everyone in this context is a leader. You have to make difficult decisions about your own life, and nothing around you can change your life. But you with God can bring monumental change. Every one of us how the power to make incredible shifts and changes in our lives, and find ourselves living in a totally different environment – a God environment – a place where God designed for us to live. It is the same world you are living in – we just change our prism so that we can better represent God to the world.

Colossians 1:6 – The same good news that came to you is going out all over the world, and it is changing lives everywhere. God is into change. Jesus is the Gospel – the good news – and the act of God sending Jesus in itself is change. When you have an encounter with God or meet God, you change. It changed your life “the first day you heard and understood.” This doesn’t mean that everything is suddenly different in our lives. Hearing or even having an initial conversation with Jesus does not change much in the natural. It changes a lot in the spiritual. When the Gospel is heard and understood and becomes truth – then change begins to happen.

v9 – We continued to pray for you that God would give you complete understanding of what God wants to do with your life. It isn’t just your redemption – your initial encounter. Finding faith in Christ as your Lord and Savior is the easy part. A lot of times people find Jesus in a time of crisis. Allowing God to work in our lives and change our lives is the difficult part. Our humanity is a tyrant and causes us to struggle with things in this life. We start to drift away from how God sees things and back toward the way I see things. That is why God says this Word is like food – it is feeding you. When you drift away from the God’s words, you begin to drift back and impede change and progress. We have to stay connected to God and the saints, to be sharpened, challenged and held accountable so that we can continue to move forward. When you are living around people who believe the same, you all move together. It is also smart to listen to people that know more than you and learn from them. Always listen to people who have fruit.

Truth and revelation – Paul brought one of the most powerful revelations and life builders ever brought to earth – v9 – I pray that God will give you complete understanding of what He wants to do and make you wise with spiritual wisdom. v10 – Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord. Once you have an encounter, wisdom and understanding begin to come and you begin to live a life that pleases the Lord. Now when we mess up, God still loves us – that’s what grace is for. But the more I get to know God, the less I want to let Him down. The more of His heart that is revealed to me, the more I want to live up to His vision for me.

Ephesians 1:16 – What do you want to do this year? What do you want to see change? Put God first, and He will help you in all areas of your life. “I have never stopped thanking God for you, and I have never stopped praying for you that God will give you spiritual wisdom and understanding, that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the wonderful future that He has promised to those He has called.”

This is all talking about getting a revelation. A revelation is truth revealed. When truth is revealed, it changes your behavior. Not in your mind – that is understanding. What happens in your mind is never enough to change behavior. Revelation is truth revealed in the spirit. Change begins with revelation. A revelation stays alive in you forever. Once you get a revelation, it doesn’t matter what happens around you or what your circumstances are, they won’t change your belief, your faith or your behavior. Revelation is foundational – it is the foundation to rebuild your life. Revelation brings knowledge alive and makes it usable – the truth that changes your perspective and causes change.

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