The difference between ordinary and extra ordinary people is that; Ordinary people stop with Limitations, while

Extra ordinary people Turn their Limitations into expectations Today in front of me are ordinary people, may be: Your coming to nursing school was not celebrated

Your life in nursing school has been filled with hurdles

Your graduation from nursing school is just one of the many

I deeply agree with you about your limitations: Lack of consistent school fee to keep you at pace with the rest Excessive mandatory work training leaving you no personal time for study and leisure Unbearable school mates of detestable attitudes wondering whether they were sent from hell to make your life a misery The worst of all, unbearable tutors and administrators who seemed not to care about this limitations that sound genuine to you!!! I beg your attention, to listen to this ordinary human who left an extra ordinary Impact; When faced with immense limitations:

 Protest from her people due to her royal family connections Their anger at her refusal to several marriage proposals The challenge of being an elite scholar in a period where women could not inherit or posses property except through a male figure The threat and pressure of war in Britain Frustrated from senior male military personnel not willing to work along her Poor hygienic conditions among dying soldiers under their care Her Poor health and long periods of stress

FLORENCE NIGHTINGLE said: Today I am 30-the age Christ began his mission. Now no more childish things, no more vain things, no more love, no more marriage. Now, Lord, let me only think of Thy will, what Thou willest me to do-O Lord, Thy will, Thy will. She continued, Resolved to devote 1/4 of hour 3 times a day to finding out what was the will of God for me.
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Florence exhibited a firm desire to devote her life to God and her spiritual calling allowed her an unwavering focus for her work despite restrictions for women and
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her parents adamant objections.

SERMON BODY It is these limitations that prompts Christ to make a prayer request in Mathew 9: The closing of Mathew 9 is the known passage where Christ sees a multitude and has compassion on them

In the same passage He genuinely confesses that the Harvest is plenty and the labourers are few; that is a limitation! That makes Christ, present a prayer request

Mt 9:38 "Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest." (NKJV) The openings of Mathew 10 is a series of strategy that Jesus employs, very well aware of the Limitations that his disciples had at that moment! Limitations to answer the prayer need, he had just shared. Mt 9:38 "Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest." (NKJV) Take note: This prayer is answered immediately by Christ taking the obligation to assign His disciples 2 by 2 for ministry Application: If you want to leave an extra ordinary impact you

must learn to make your limitations into prayer points! AMEN

How sensitive will you be to the needs around you? Or will you be possessed by the spirit of irresponsibility?

You would rather send missiles of prayer heaven bound but shut your eyes to the immense opportunities that you have, to answer the same prayers. The Limitations around you are great opportunities to make an impact.

The message today is for:

You who feel helpless by facts and circumstances that you well know are beyond your control, AMEN!
o

Your are not sure whether your employment and economic investment strategies will take care of the Limitations Your are not certain whether your social networks can take care of the Limitation Your are fearful that your church and ministry may not take care of the Limitation Your are worried that your family will not take care of the Limitation

o Your are not even sure whether your elaborate training will take care of your Limitation...

And worst of all YOU FEEL YOU CANNOT TAKE CARE OF YOUR LIMITATIONS

Please let us learn from The experience of Jesus and His disciples

MATHEW 10
I.

V/S 1. The disciples were Limited in divine Power

Mt 10:1 And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. (NKJV) Take Note of this: A.He calls them to Him B.He equips them with Him C.They manifest Him A Time will come when you will feel limited in divine power? Things above your control - If you could manipulate time - If you could elongate life - If you could bind and cast all manner of spirits that haunt you When you are limited in Divine power, Catch this principle:

A.Draw near to Him

a.

In The Word, In Worship, In Witness

B.Be filled with Him a. Desire the infilling of the Holy Spirit b. The Holy Spirit is the teacher C.You will manifest Him a. You dont need to fake it b. When you are full of Him, he manifests
c.

In your words, walk and deeds (treatment)

The Living word of God says: Ac 1:8 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (NKJV) Friends, The Power you receive is not an end to itself It is the power to become witnesses If you feel limited in divine power, spent time with God! The privilege of being a nurse is that through your washing of the wound, oiling of the wound, bandaging of the wound; the wounded persons on the highways of life, filled with destructive robbers and all manner of chronic manifestations; will feel the touch of Jesus and Glory will go to God! AMEN!

II.

V/S 5. The disciples were Limited in their Mandate

Mt 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. (NKJV) They had permission to preach, yes but not to everybody! How often we find ourselves in the same state: - You wish you could reach everyone, every time, everyway. - Instead your fears, prejudice or past stand tall on your way. - Remember Christ knows this limitation. - Christ introduces them to the familiar but would one day empower them to reach the unfamiliar. - His disciples were still fragile to the critics of the Pharisees and Sadducees - The Gentile world was a no go zone at that time - He still needed some more time with them in the quarry of kingdom principles - This is why the Pentecost came, nothing could stop them. - When the Pentecost came - The Living word of God states

Ac 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. (NKJV)
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You too need a Pentecostal experience and nothing will stop you!!! Amen

III. V/S 10. Limited in Supplies Mt 10:9 "Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, Mt 10:10 "nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food. (NKJV) - Have you ever noticed when the youth are going for mission to pokot, Turkana name them, - Would you dare read this scripture to them! - You would think they have chartered a plane to London!
Who is rich? He that is content. Who is that? Nobody. Benjamin Franklin (1706 - 1790)

Today we live in a world that contradicts the statement above in every way! - If we had money we would have finished our CED Complex - If we had money we would take a whole bus for missions - If we had money we would employ 5 more full time

staff - If I make enough money I will resign my Job and serve God

TAKE NOTE!!! Of that verse - Jesus technically implies that they had all the basics they needed for their task - From now on their dependency was on their task, their call - Not on their lack of finances - The ministry they served in was sufficient to meet their needs - Could it be that your lack is due to pride and selfishness? - Because God provides for the work He gives!!! Amen! And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:10 IV. V/S 11-13. Limited influence Matthew 10 11 "Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out.

12 "And when you go into a household, greet it. 13 "If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. (NKJV)

Emotional rejection is the feeling a person experiences when disappointed about not achieving something desired. It is commonly experienced in a quest of emotional relations, such as among romantic couples, in social and group settings, or in the professional world in relation to advancement. The act of rejection can make the person experiencing it undergo a sudden drop in positive emotion.

This is displayed as something ranging from: a vague disappointment, sadness, and depression, to anxiety,phobic behavior, or even stalking or forcibly abducting the rejecting person. (The Lady who attempted suicide) -

Do the words above describe you today Do you feel the push to take away your own life, Christ has the answer!

To combat this limitation of influence Christ introduces a word, a worthy household axios in gk - Axios means deserving praise, suitable. - In every level of rejection God has apportioned persons suitable to bring your spirit back to life

- The church needs these persons in plenty, sons of encouragement - The fact is you will knock doors packed with Hostility but do not fall back - In that environment there is sufficient grace to move you on. The Living word of God says Psalm 34:17-20 ESV When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the broken hearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. Amen!

V.

V/S 16-18. Limited Escape Matthew 10 16 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. 17 "But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.

18 "You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. (NKJV) Take note of the contrasts in these passage: - Wolves v/s sheep - Serpent v/s dove - Governors v/s servants The reality is: - These contrasts will always co-exist - In our work places, in our social gatherings and even right at home - Our so called betrayers are sometimes our closest allies Are you surrounded by betrayals?
Betrayal is the violation of an expressed or perceived trust by a person or persons with whom you rely upon for some aspect of life.

Do you feel betrayed by persons you have spent your life serving? The only recipe Christ gives for this is: - Be aware - Do not be surprised! - If Christ was betrayed why not we? NOTE: This passage ends with the great known encouragement

Mt 10:28 "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (NKJV) Amen! Circumstances can be very depressing The weight of them is crushing to the soul Is there hope in all these graphic samples prophesied by Christ? Praise God, there is Hope!!! NOW! In the midst of all this Limitations Christ introduces one of His classic nature illustrations Where Limitations become expectations

Matthew 10 29 "Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. 30 "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 "Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. (NKJV)

What do you know about sparrows? "Sparrow" is the name given to several different species of birds in the Bible -- they ate grain and insects and gathered in noisy flocks.

Sparrows would often build their untidy nests in the eaves of houses, but were not driven away when they built their nests in the Temple (Psa. 84:3).
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These insignificant little birds were such social creatures that a lone sparrow was the symbol of deep loneliness (Psa. 102:7).
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In the days of our Lord sparrows were sold for a very low price -- two of them for a copper coin (Matt. 10:29).
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A copper coin, an asarion, was a very small Roman coin, was worth about 1/16 of a silver denarius, and was therefore worth less than a quarter,US $2.5
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Those who were poor and could not afford to sacrifice a sheep or a goat might bring a sparrow to the Temple (cf. Lev. 14:1-7).
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So insignificant were these little birds that if you bought four sparrows the seller would throw in one more for free (Luke 12:4-7).
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It was this extra sparrow of which Jesus said, "and not one of them is forgotten before God." His care for His creation is so great that even this extra sparrow is noted and observed by God! Application: The point our Lord was making is this: if God is concerned about the tiny sparrow and notes its fate, how much greater must His concern be for you, who is immeasurably greater in value than the sparrow! What do we learn from sparrows? 1. Lesson 1. They are prolific and live in

unknown danger a. As much as they multiply in numbers they are not aware of the dangers that await them every day b. That, God honours to be care free not careless

In the song This is the promise The Martins have been enlightened by God, some powerful phrases that is worth our consideration today!
VERSE 1. I never said that I would give you silver or gold Or that you would never feel the fire or shiver in the cold But I did say you'd never walk thru this world alone And I did say don't make this world your home VERSE 2. I never said that fear wouldn't find you in the night Or that loneliness was something you'd never have to fight But I did say I'd be right there by your side And I did say I'll always help you fight

VERSE 3 I never said that friends would never turn their backs on you Or that the world around you wouldn't see you as a fool But I did say like me you'll surely be despised And I did say My ways confound the wise VERSE 4 I didn't say you'd never taste the bitter kiss of death Or have to walk thru chilly Jordan to enter into rest But I did say I'd be waiting right on the other side And I did say I'll dry every tear you've cried CHORUS 1. 'Cause you know I made a promise that I intend to keep My grace will be sufficient in your time of need My love will be the anchor that you can hold on to This is the promise, this is the promise I've made to you

CHORUS 2 'Cause you know I made a promise that I've prepared a place And someday sooner than you think you'll see me face to face And you'll sing with the angels and a countless multitude This is the promise, this is the promise I've made to you BRIDGE, SELAH So just keep on walking don't turn to the left or right And in the midst of darkness let this be your light That hell can't separate us and you're gonna make it thru This is the promise, this is the promise I've made to you Oh, this is the promise, this is the promise I've made to you

c. God never promises to keep us away from pain, but in that pain we gain!!! 2. Lesson 2. They are insignificant in value yet God takes notice of their fall
3.

Lesson 3. You are of more value than many sparrows. If he takes notice of a falling bird If he takes notice of fallen hair Why not you!!!

a. b. c.

Altar Ministry: Matthew 10 is the chapter on limitations

I am here to remind you that your limitations turn them to expectations Do you feel: I. V/S 1. Limited in divine Power Stand on the word, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you!

II.

V/S 5. Limited in your Mandate

Stand on the word, you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (NKJV) III. V/S 10. Limited in your Supplies

Stand on the word, And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:10
IV.

V/S 11-13. Limited in your influence Stand on the word, When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.

V. V/S 16-18. Limited in your way of Escape

Stand on the word, Mt 10:19 But when you are given up into their hands, do not be troubled about what to say or how to say it: for in that hour what you are to say will be given to you; (BBE)

CONCLUSION
In 1904, a songwriter, Mrs. Civilla Martin, went to visit a bedridden friend in Elmira, New York. Mrs. Martin asked the woman if she ever got discouraged because of her physical condition. Her friend quickly responded: "Mrs. Martin, how can I be discouraged when my heavenly Father watches over each little sparrow and I know He loves and cares for me?" On her journey back home, Mrs. Martin completed the writing of her new text, which has since been a source of much encouragement to many of God's people: 1. Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come, why should my heart be lonely and long for Heaven and home, when Jesus is my portion? My constant

Friend is He: His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me... 2. "Let not your heart be troubled," His tender word I hear, and resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears; though by the path He leadeth but one step I may see: His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me... 3. Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise, when songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies, I draw the closer to Him; from care He sets me free; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me...
Refrain: I sing because I'm happy, I sing because I'm free, His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me

What is your limitation Can you be couragious Put aside any weight, fear & pride Just come as you are

As this same song ushers you If he takes notice of birds that fall down He cares for you most.