Collector or receiver of the gift?

Text: John 1:11-12
He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

There are gifts that are collected and there are gifts that are received. Gifts are collected with the hand but received with the heart. So in the kingdom and the church today, there are those who have collected Jesus and there are those who have received him. Those who have collected him are those who know about Him but those who received Him have come to know Him

Those who collect the gift USE the gift but those who receive the gift are USED by Him. So today in the church are those who use Jesus or His name. And there are those who are used by Him and by His name. We would look at a few examples of those who collected and used or attempted to use His name, the characteristics and the end of such people. Like we would do for those who receive Him;

Sons of Sceva
Acts 19:11-16 says, “And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them. Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”

Paul during his missionary journey had gone to Corinth and left for Ephesus where he preached the gospel of Jesus to both Jews and Gentiles. Some rejected his message outrightly:

Acts 19:8-10
And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus. And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

There are also people in the church today over whom pastors and ministers have been labouring in the word of God yet their hearts are harden. They hear but neither collect or receive the word.

How do we know? They are still who they were since the word has been coming to them. The word of God has been of no impact in their lives! That is a dangerous category to be. But interestingly were the group of people who heard about Jesus and saw the miracles being done in His name and opted to COLLECT HIM! Example is the sons of Sceva that we read about.
Pastor Seyi Adeyemi, Senior Pastor, The Worship Centre (Assembly of Sons & Daughters of Christ Apostolic Church). The Worship Centre, 1, Worship Centre Avenue, Off Kudirat Abiola Way, First Bank Bus Stop, Oregun, Lagos.