Today we will be examining something that would spur us to pray, because it is a matter that should draw us to prayer. It is not something to be informed about, we are simply in the know of what is going on. You know there was this story in the Bible about a man who brought his son to Jesus and because each time, there is a spirit that takes hold of the son and throws him into fire and water sometimes. In the word of the boy's father, he says "something took hold of him." The boy can't explain it, but he finds himself in an experience that is not palatable, that he is not interested in; yet, he cannot get out of it.
There are moments in life when we find ourselves in places and circumstances that are beyond our reach, beyond our means and control. Whether it is a difficult or palatable circumstances, the Lord is always good. So, when a man finds himself in a place where it looks as if there is no way, if the Lord does not help, there is no help. To such a man or a woman, there is a word from the Lord for you. That is why we want to examine this important topic: WHY WE MUST BE LOOSED? We will quickly examine the book of Matthew 21:1-5 which is a symbolic message to what we will be discussing and there is a message for you therein.
Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. 3 And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”
If we stop at the end of verse two of that Scripture, we may wonder; "Why must I be loosed?" But now we want to talk from the angle of the donkey and the colt that have been there for years, "wasting away" in the same place being tied. And because the donkey and the colt have been in that particular place for long, they believed the reason why they have been surviving or living is because they have been there. So they attach their security and provision to that particular place. And now a word is coming from the Lord unto them saying, loose them!
The question then is: "Why must I be loosed?" I have been here for months perhaps for years, this is the place where I sleep and I wake up, this is where my provisions lies; are you telling me to be loosed from here? Why must I be loosed? There is no attack on my life simply because I have been tied for months and years, am I sure of safety outside of this present place? Am I sure of provision outside of this place, why must I be loosed from here? And so let us continue as to why such a person with these enormous questions must be loosed.
The reason you must be loosed is simply because the Lord has need of you. You must be loosed because the Lord has need of you. Although you may have thought hitherto that your safety and provision is embedded in this current state that you are, but you must definitely be loosed because the Lord has need of you. You know it is such a privilege to be needed by one's Lord. You see, you can be a machine that produces, for example a prayer machine, and such a person has not been able to pray for years, such a person has capacity unused, an un-maximised capacity. If that colt remained tied, irrespective of the capacity of that colt, it will be useless. So, what is the usefulness of a donkey that is only tied?
The donkey can carry so much but yet, it is tied. The colt as well can carry so much over a long distance but yet it is tied. A capacity that is not let loosed is a capacity that cannot translate into productivity. Why must I be loosed? You must be loosed so that your capacity can be given expression. And the bible didn't say that your capacity can just be given expression, but rather it can only be given expression in the Lord. It is the Lord that has need of that thing that you are able to do. That treasure that is there wasting in your life, it is the Lord that is laying demand on it.
Now if you remain tied, simply because that is the only place you get food or your supply, and you agreed to remain tied because you are afraid of life beyond there, then you will not be able to give expression to that which the Lord has put inside of you. A donkey or a colt that is tied is good for a season, but it must never continue or remain tied. There is a time in a man's life that he may be tied or fixed, but there must come a time when the man must find expression for things inside of him.
There is a season that the donkey must be tied from attacks and learn the lessons that is required, but if the donkey refuses to be loosed, the donkey will be useless even at old age. Now come to think of it. How does a donkey find fulfillment? Is it in just eating or in carrying loads over a long distance? The role that the donkey is expected to play will remain unplayed as long as it remain tied down. One of the challenges we are having in our society today is simply unplayed roles culminating into underdevelopment of the nation. If every man and every woman is doing what is expected of them, in Nigeria for instance; Nigeria will not be in this present state right now.
We have a nation where most people are just looking, they are fixed and they are tied like donkeys, they are just surviving. They cannot give expression to what is inside of them. And so we are underdeveloped, we are unproductive not because we lack capacity to produce, but those who are supposed to produce are not producing. And so, we depend on nations and people who have or are giving expression to what is inside of them. You see, it is important for you to tell yourself, I must be loosed, especially when it is the Lord that is setting you loosed, why must you resist the Lord?
The question then is this: Since the Lord has been laying demands on your life, on your treasure, your value, on your wisdom; how have you released yourself to Him? Have you released yourself immediately to the Lord, or are you still comfortable being tied? Two things could happen. The Colt didn't own itself, and the donkey didn't own itself either. Somebody owned them and must have been responsible for feeding them, protecting them and then Jesus said you will find a donkey and a colt and if anyone ask you, what are you doing with them, tell them the Lord has a need for them. Two things can happen. Number one: the owner of the donkey could either refuse or the donkey and the colt refuse. We think it is only the owner of the donkey and the colt that can refuse, No! The donkey and the colt as it were can also refuse.
So the question is in the matters of your life, who has been refusing? Is it, to say; the owners of your life, those who sponsors you and have been helping you to pay your bills or you who has been refusing and restraining the Lord's command and bidding. Has it been you or has it been them? But the bible says even the lawful captive shall be delivered and even the captive of the Mighty shall be delivered. Even sometimes, it is the people that put themselves into bondage deliberately, sometimes it is other people that keep others into bondage. But the good news is whether you put yourself into bondage or others put you there, there is liberation for you if you would pray.
Blessed is she or he that believes, for there shall be a performance. That performance is liberation, of those things that have been told him or her by her Lord. The Lord has sent a word to both the donkey and the colt, let them be loosed. It says "Loosed them and bring them", that is the word of the Lord. If I believe as a colt and as a donkey, I would respond to the commandment of the Lord and I will let myself to be loosed. I will believe God and I will follow Him anywhere He sends me to. Now let us continue that story and see what befell both the donkey and the Colt. Verse 4-11.
4 All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:
5 “Tell the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your King is coming to you,
Lowly, and sitting on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”
6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. 8 And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:
“Hosanna to the Son of David!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
Hosanna in the highest!”
10 And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?” 11 So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”
Please note the word 'When He Had come into Jerusalem', He didn't come to Jerusalem alone, He came with the formerly tied donkey and colt. So both the location of the donkey and colt changed. Their allegiance as it were also changed. Initially they were loyal to their owners, but now they are loyal to the Lord. You could think you have been great in that tied place, you could think you have been happening, you see if you can only respond to the bidding of the Lord and allow yourself to be loosed and respond and change your location and allegiance and come to the Lord's side, your influence would be nothing compared to where you had been coming from.
There is much more greater level of glory ahead of you, the glory beyond here is bigger than here, but if you refused not to leave here you will not get there. So you cannot say this is the place I can always be. If you allow God to lay hold on your life and you can shift your allegiance and come to the Lord side, who you will be will be so much different from who you could ever imagine you would be. I would rather have God take glory in what I do than rather allow men take the glory. That is why you cannot remain loyal to me in disobedience to God. You must abdicate such thrones and come to the Lord side, the Lord has a plan for your life.
The reason why you must be loosed is because you are a valuable person before God and He considers you a treasure and a jewel that is so important that had made Him invite you to His own side. There is something that God wants to get done in the city and He has decided that He will use you to do it. If you are not there, that thing will not be done and so God has called you, if you refuse to respond you are refusing the will of God. If you can respond to God, then you can find the real liberation that you have been yearning for. There is so much that your life can be for and do with your life. Your life is beyond eating, drinking, going to toilet and waking up the next day.
Your has been created by God for a greater influence, God wants to ride on you into nations and cities. If you refused to be loosed now, you will deny yourself of that glory ahead. Jesus said now glorify me with that glory that I have with you. In a way Jesus set Himself loosed for the Father, and He has given Him a name that is above every other name. His influence is now beyond heaven to the earth. Hitherto He has a name in heaven, but He came to the earth to be used by God and now, He is known here as well. The Lord also, has a need of you. If your influence would go beyond here, then you need to set yourself loose beyond here. You must allow God to make use of you beyond where you are right now.
God has a plan for you beyond this your present location. If you tie yourself here, then your influence will only remain here. God has brought these words to someone. Your sustenance is not only tied to only here, God is able to sustain you anywhere you are taking to by Him. He is able also, to protect you anywhere. the Bible says they were few in number, and they were moving from one nation to the other, from Kingdoms to Kingdoms, He suffer no man to them no wrong, He reprove kings for their sake saying touch not my anointed and do my prophet no harm. When you allow God to take you out of that tied location, then you become His anointed. You refused to respond, you cannot be anointed and yet the Bible says the yoke are broken by the reason of the anointing.
Your refusal simply means that the yokes would remain. I pray that God will help us in Jesus' Name.
