1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,320 Hi there, welcome to NECF. 2 00:00:06,320 --> 00:00:10,120 We're excited to share today's message with you. 3 00:00:10,120 --> 00:00:16,160 Don't go anywhere, stay with us to the end for some valuable resources to enrich your 4 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:17,160 faith. 5 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:23,480 Here's today's sermon. 6 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:27,760 First Corinthians 13, Though I speak with the tongues of men and 7 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:36,280 of angels, but have not love, I have become a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 8 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:43,920 And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, 9 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:51,600 and though I have all faith, so I could remove mountains, but I have not love, I am nothing. 10 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:58,200 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, 11 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:01,920 but have not love, it profits me nothing. 12 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:04,920 Love suffers long and kind. 13 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:07,420 Love does not envy. 14 00:01:07,420 --> 00:01:09,920 Love does not pirate itself. 15 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:11,860 Is not puffed up. 16 00:01:11,860 --> 00:01:13,840 Does not behave rudely. 17 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:16,480 Does not seek its own. 18 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:19,160 Is not provoked. 19 00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:25,400 Is no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth. 20 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:33,280 Bears all things, believes all things, hope all things, endures all things. 21 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:38,760 Love never fails, but whether there are prophecies, they will fail. 22 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:41,440 Whether there are tongues, they will cease. 23 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:44,160 Whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 24 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:50,000 So we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when that which is perfect has come, then 25 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:52,880 that which is in the past will be done away. 26 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:57,360 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I taught as a child, 27 00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:00,400 but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 28 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:08,120 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, or face to face, now I know in part, but then I shall 29 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:11,560 know as I also am known. 30 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:19,000 And now about faith, hope, love and these three, but the greatest of these is what? 31 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:20,760 Is love. 32 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:25,720 And then we have been communicating, you know, the idea of the spirit-led life and we said 33 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:31,520 that is not necessary expressed in the spectacular. 34 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:37,520 For you to be a spiritual man, we said the basic thing is not for us to see you acting 35 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:40,680 in spectacular and amazing fashion. 36 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:43,640 We don't have to see you raising the debt. 37 00:02:43,640 --> 00:02:48,560 We don't have to see you, you know, doing so many, so many things for us before we can 38 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:50,600 conclude that you are a spiritual man. 39 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:55,560 Or we said that the spiritual life or a life that is led by the spirit is first and foremost, 40 00:02:55,560 --> 00:03:00,400 primarily fundamentally defined by what is defined by love. 41 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:05,520 And we cannot know how spiritual you are until you find yourself in a community of people 42 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:12,880 and you interact with people and there's an exchange of ideas, some ideas contrary to 43 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:19,480 yours, your views contrary to other people's views, until you exist in a community of people 44 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:25,240 and you relate with people and then there is offenses, which is expected in a relationship 45 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:26,420 with men. 46 00:03:26,420 --> 00:03:29,400 Then we see how we respond to these situations. 47 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:33,800 Then we can engage whether actually we are spiritual or we are living according to our 48 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:36,080 nature as men that are of the spirit. 49 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:41,960 You know, sometimes we think that excluding ourselves and not associating with people, 50 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:43,880 you know, will help us. 51 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:48,160 Some people have, many years ago, they've excluded themselves from relationships with 52 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:53,800 people, you know, they are monks, they keep themselves in caves, what do you call it, 53 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:56,760 monasteries and the only thing they do is what? 54 00:03:56,760 --> 00:04:00,920 They pray so that they will be away from the sinful world. 55 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:03,960 They will not relate with sinful people. 56 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:10,560 That in itself does not actually, actually define your level of growth or maturity. 57 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:15,000 As we can see from this text, it says, especially from verse one, it says, though I speak with 58 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:21,520 tongues of men and of angels but have not loved, I have become sounding brass or a clanging 59 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:22,520 cymbal. 60 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:27,480 You can speak in tongues, which is of course we encourage you to speak in tongues, speak 61 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:32,880 in the tongues of angels if it's possible, at the same time you can walk in the flesh. 62 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:33,880 Hallelujah. 63 00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:38,280 Prophecy or prophesying and having so much knowledge, you know, one of the big challenges 64 00:04:38,280 --> 00:04:43,280 we have in our generation, as I always emphasize, is that we are full of knowledge. 65 00:04:43,280 --> 00:04:45,280 We know a lot in this generation. 66 00:04:45,280 --> 00:04:50,840 This is the most blessed generation in history that we have access to information at our 67 00:04:50,840 --> 00:04:51,840 disposal. 68 00:04:51,840 --> 00:04:53,800 We know a lot of scripture. 69 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:59,320 In fact, we know interpretations, we know the Greek and the Hebrew, we know a lot, more 70 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:02,720 than even our parents had never had the opportunity to know the things we know. 71 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:06,920 But when we compare our lives and their lives, we can see the difference. 72 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:09,080 Their generation seems to be better. 73 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:14,380 With the increase of knowledge, we see deterioration in the world, in the standard of our living. 74 00:05:14,380 --> 00:05:20,440 So having understanding, having knowledge, you know, having all the information needed 75 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:22,660 is not enough. 76 00:05:22,660 --> 00:05:25,520 It is by doing the world that we find profit in it. 77 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:30,200 It is by acting upon the things that we know that we see the profit in. 78 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:35,560 James 1 verse 25, James 1 verse 25 talks about, you know, doing the world. 79 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:37,160 Give me James 1 verse 25. 80 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:44,960 It says, But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is 81 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:50,360 not a forgetful hearer, but a doer, this forgetful hearer is not just that you, it was in your 82 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:53,000 mind and then you what? you forget it. 83 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:54,000 No. 84 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:56,040 It's a forgetfulness that is deliberate. 85 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:58,080 You plan to forget about it. 86 00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:00,960 You know the truth, but you decided that you're not going to act upon it. 87 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:05,560 You ignore the truth that you've seen, that you've known. 88 00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:13,520 So this person not being a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed 89 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:15,080 in what he does. 90 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:18,280 So the blessings come from what? from doing, not only knowing. 91 00:06:18,280 --> 00:06:19,280 Hallelujah. 92 00:06:19,280 --> 00:06:22,800 So based on the information you've gathered from January, February to December, I believe 93 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:25,120 you should be walking the moon by now. 94 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:31,440 So one of our biggest challenge is not taking notes because in this church, you know, we've 95 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:33,000 tried to take notes, right? 96 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:35,160 It's actually translating what is in the book. 97 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:38,360 First of all, some people don't even care about the information that is coming. 98 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:41,440 So when you're able to even gather the information, what do you do with the information that you 99 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:42,440 gather? 100 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:45,380 You have a duty to put into practice. 101 00:06:45,380 --> 00:06:49,560 So having knowledge is not enough, but Stu talks about it. 102 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:53,880 He says, and though I have the gift of prophecy, you can prophesy, it's a gift. 103 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:54,880 You never earned it. 104 00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:56,600 It's a gift. 105 00:06:56,600 --> 00:06:58,760 And understand all mysteries. 106 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:04,880 You can dissect mysteries from scriptures, you know, you know that the mystery has been 107 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:05,880 revealed. 108 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:06,880 You can teach the mysteries. 109 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:11,560 You can explain the mysteries and all knowledge. 110 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:17,800 And though I have all faith, so I could remove mountains, you can do spectacular miracles, 111 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:20,400 you can walk in the miracles. 112 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:25,360 And when you look through your life, you can barely see a man that is loving. 113 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:27,480 You know, the Bible says that you are nothing. 114 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:28,480 Hallelujah. 115 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:29,800 The Bible says we are nothing. 116 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:32,240 You can do a lot of charitable activities. 117 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:35,440 Some people do a lot of good works to feel good. 118 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:40,240 Verse three says, and though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, you know, they call 119 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:43,800 it giving back to the society. 120 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:52,240 And though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing, which 121 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:58,360 means that what is a possibility for you to do a lot of things, but you are not acting 122 00:07:58,360 --> 00:07:59,360 in love. 123 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:01,440 It is not only speaking in tongues. 124 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:06,660 It is not only giving prophetic words or any of the spectacular, but first and foremost 125 00:08:06,660 --> 00:08:11,960 an expression of love to others, especially those of the household of faith. 126 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:15,600 This is what a spiritual life is all about. 127 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:16,600 Hallelujah. 128 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:24,720 We want to see you just moving away from, you know, just speaking to acting, just from 129 00:08:24,720 --> 00:08:30,160 a position where you have knowledge, to seeing the knowledge, you know, walking through you. 130 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:37,280 And I want us to remember that here Paul was writing to a spiritual people who have demonstrated 131 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:40,560 a high level of spiritual gifts, right? 132 00:08:40,560 --> 00:08:48,360 I believe, as we always say, that in the Bible, the Corinthian church have been classified 133 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:51,720 as, you know, they've seen the work of God, right? 134 00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:54,880 They've seen the manifestation of the spirit of God. 135 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:58,120 Let's just have a bit of an analysis of this church. 136 00:08:58,120 --> 00:09:00,000 Let's go to chapter one. 137 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:02,920 Let's analyze this church a bit. 138 00:09:02,920 --> 00:09:05,520 Corinthians chapter one, let me read from verse one. 139 00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:11,720 He says, Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God and sustenance 140 00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:15,840 our brother to the church of God, which is at Corinth. 141 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:20,420 So he was writing to believers to the church for those who are sanctified. 142 00:09:20,420 --> 00:09:26,440 So they are sanctified people set apart for Christ called to be saints with all who in 143 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:32,920 every place call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Lord both theirs and ours. 144 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:37,520 Grace to you and peace from God, our father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 145 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:40,920 Now look at the next verses from verse four to verse nine. 146 00:09:40,920 --> 00:09:43,000 Look at how, you know, he talks about this. 147 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:49,880 I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God, which was given to you by Christ 148 00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:50,880 Jesus. 149 00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:53,640 So this man have tested the grace of God. 150 00:09:53,640 --> 00:10:05,200 Verse five, that you were enriched in everything by him in all utterances and all knowledge, 151 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:10,400 which means that this church has worked in this dimension, right? 152 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:12,400 They've expressed utterances. 153 00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:14,960 They've they've worked in knowledge. 154 00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:20,360 Seven, even as a testimony of Christ was confirmed to you so that you come short. 155 00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:23,720 Look at this, he comes short in no gift. 156 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:25,200 They come short in no gift. 157 00:10:25,200 --> 00:10:30,880 If it is a manifestation, they come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation 158 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:36,440 of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end that you may be blameless in 159 00:10:36,440 --> 00:10:38,840 the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 160 00:10:38,840 --> 00:10:42,640 God is faithful by whom you were called into the fellowship of his son, Jesus Christ, our 161 00:10:42,640 --> 00:10:43,640 Lord. 162 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:48,960 So we can see here that this church, these are believers, these are men that have tested, 163 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:53,800 these are men that actually the supernatural is not an issue for them. 164 00:10:53,800 --> 00:10:54,800 Hallelujah. 165 00:10:54,800 --> 00:10:58,880 But then this same church is embroiled in a lot of controversy. 166 00:10:58,880 --> 00:11:07,160 This same church that Paul is commending of their spirituality, of their ability to work 167 00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:14,240 in this supernatural, you know, gifts are embroiled in what I call controversy. 168 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:18,960 First and foremost, we see that there was, even though they are spiritual, right, they 169 00:11:18,960 --> 00:11:21,000 were not working in the spirit. 170 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:25,640 Even though they were spiritual people that are born of the spirit, they have the spirit 171 00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:28,680 of God in them, but they are not working in spirit. 172 00:11:28,680 --> 00:11:29,960 There was division in them. 173 00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:34,440 Drum to chapter verse 10 of that same chapter one. 174 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:37,040 You see where Paul began to examine their issue. 175 00:11:37,040 --> 00:11:43,200 He says, now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you 176 00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:47,640 all speak the same thing, which means that they were speaking different things, which 177 00:11:47,640 --> 00:11:50,320 means that there was a division among them. 178 00:11:50,320 --> 00:11:57,280 That you, what, speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you. 179 00:11:57,280 --> 00:12:02,560 So this letter that he is writing to them is actually a response to the things that 180 00:12:02,560 --> 00:12:04,240 is happening within that congregation. 181 00:12:04,240 --> 00:12:09,080 There shall be no division among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the 182 00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:18,480 same mind in judgment, because division, right, division is not a fruit of the spirit. 183 00:12:18,480 --> 00:12:21,480 How we know that? 184 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:24,480 Separatism is not a fruit of the spirit. 185 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:29,640 He asked them in verse 10, now I plead with you, verse 11, I think. 186 00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:30,640 Yes. 187 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:35,280 For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, that those of Clare's house, 188 00:12:35,280 --> 00:12:41,240 that there are contentions among you, those in Goaillel's cell, those in Pastor Victor's 189 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:47,800 house, that big cell, that church in Heianican, right, that there is division among you, there 190 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:49,920 is contentions among you. 191 00:12:49,920 --> 00:12:54,440 Now I said is that each of you says, I am for Pastor Victor. 192 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:56,960 Some of you says I am for Paul. 193 00:12:56,960 --> 00:12:57,960 Oh I am for what? 194 00:12:57,960 --> 00:12:58,960 I am for Pastor Tidi. 195 00:12:58,960 --> 00:12:59,960 Oh I am for Christ. 196 00:12:59,960 --> 00:13:05,600 Verse 13, is Christ divided, was Paul crucified for you? 197 00:13:05,600 --> 00:13:11,480 Some people say I am from Rwanda, they are Nigerians, they are West Africans, we are 198 00:13:11,480 --> 00:13:16,760 East Africans in this church, we are the East African part of this church. 199 00:13:16,760 --> 00:13:22,280 Is Christ divided, was Paul crucified for you, or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 200 00:13:22,280 --> 00:13:25,160 Move to chapter 3, you will see more about that division. 201 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:27,120 Paul continues, chapter 3 from verse 1. 202 00:13:27,120 --> 00:13:30,880 He says, an high brethren could not speak to you as to what? 203 00:13:30,880 --> 00:13:31,880 As to spirituals. 204 00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:34,640 Now he is not saying that they are not spiritual people. 205 00:13:34,640 --> 00:13:35,680 Are we together? 206 00:13:35,680 --> 00:13:39,880 Because he has commanded them earlier on, he has mentioned to them how he has seen them 207 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:44,800 demonstrated that they lack in no spiritual gift, right? 208 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:48,960 So he is not saying that they are spiritual people, he is saying that they are acting 209 00:13:48,960 --> 00:13:51,440 in a way that is unnatural to them. 210 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:56,040 They are behaving as though they are, he called them carnal, in some translation he used the 211 00:13:56,040 --> 00:13:57,680 word carnal, right? 212 00:13:57,680 --> 00:14:03,240 An high brethren could not speak to you as to people that are spiritual, but as to carnal, 213 00:14:03,240 --> 00:14:04,240 as to what? 214 00:14:04,240 --> 00:14:06,160 As to babes in Christ. 215 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:11,360 So that is an attitude of someone that is still childish, that is childish. 216 00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:15,880 I fed you with milk and not with solid food for until now you were not able to receive 217 00:14:15,880 --> 00:14:22,440 it and even you are still not able, even now rather, you are still not able, verse 3, for 218 00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:24,440 you are still what? 219 00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:25,440 Carnal. 220 00:14:25,440 --> 00:14:32,840 For where there are envy, now look at the carnal life, where are still, for you are 221 00:14:32,840 --> 00:14:33,840 still what? 222 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:34,840 Carnal. 223 00:14:34,840 --> 00:14:37,960 For where there are envy, is envy the fruit of the spirit? 224 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:41,440 If you are walking by the spirit, will we see envy in you? 225 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:43,480 Strive, divisions among you? 226 00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:50,760 You know there are some people that they are just specializing in causing division. 227 00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:55,360 Wherever you enter a group, for example, they put in a group in a class to do an assignment, 228 00:14:55,360 --> 00:14:59,520 the moment you enter that group, you have some people, you begin to find a way that 229 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:04,360 you can, you can either rebel against the leader, form another carcass inside the carcass, 230 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:09,080 your family, you have your own favorites in the family, you've created a WhatsApp group 231 00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:11,960 inside the WhatsApp, inside the family WhatsApp group. 232 00:15:11,960 --> 00:15:14,000 That's a carnal lifestyle. 233 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:19,080 For where there are envy, strive and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving 234 00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:20,920 like ordinary men? 235 00:15:20,920 --> 00:15:27,240 Means, are you not carnal and behaving like unsaved people? 236 00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:28,240 Are we together? 237 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:31,560 For one one says I am for Paul and another I am for Apollos, are you not carnal? 238 00:15:31,560 --> 00:15:32,560 Who then is Paul? 239 00:15:32,560 --> 00:15:36,320 And then he went on to begin to teach about the unity and all those. 240 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:41,760 This same church was embroiled in another facet of controversy, sexual immorality, chapter 241 00:15:41,760 --> 00:15:43,720 5, verse 1 to 5. 242 00:15:43,720 --> 00:15:46,520 As a spiritual church, these are saints. 243 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:51,200 It is actually reported there because as I said, it's a response to a report. 244 00:15:51,200 --> 00:15:53,760 Yes, yes, the people have gossiped this total. 245 00:15:53,760 --> 00:15:55,480 It is actually reported by who? 246 00:15:55,480 --> 00:15:57,900 He didn't put the name of the person that reported. 247 00:15:57,900 --> 00:16:03,720 It is actually reported, which is a good report to be reported about them. 248 00:16:03,720 --> 00:16:10,240 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you and such sexual immorality 249 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:16,080 that is not even named among the Gentiles, even unbelievers, even people that are not 250 00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:18,960 born again, they don't even do the things that you do. 251 00:16:18,960 --> 00:16:19,960 What do they do? 252 00:16:19,960 --> 00:16:25,520 That a man sleep with his father's wife and you are puffed up and not rather mourn that 253 00:16:25,520 --> 00:16:29,160 he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. 254 00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:35,600 For indeed as absent in body but present in spirit has already judged, we listen without 255 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:40,000 judge, has already judged as though I were what? 256 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:41,560 I were present with you. 257 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:46,520 Him who has done this deed in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered 258 00:16:46,520 --> 00:16:52,400 together along with my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver such a warrant 259 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:57,720 to opposition for the destruction of the flesh that his spirit may be saved in the day of 260 00:16:57,720 --> 00:16:59,360 our Lord Jesus Christ. 261 00:16:59,360 --> 00:17:01,560 I want to dwell on verse 5, what? 262 00:17:01,560 --> 00:17:04,920 If you are sensitive, you know what I did there. 263 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:09,160 So there's a lot of controversy, the same sort of the spirit that is spiritual and I've 264 00:17:09,160 --> 00:17:12,040 tested and worked in tongues. 265 00:17:12,040 --> 00:17:16,280 If I read further you see that they are competing on who will give prophetic word, who will 266 00:17:16,280 --> 00:17:21,240 give interpretation but this scandal is happening in the midst of these people and Paul is telling 267 00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:27,480 us see this is a cannot, this is not walking in the spirit, this is not the life of the 268 00:17:27,480 --> 00:17:31,560 spirit, this is not the life that God has called you to live, you are walking not in 269 00:17:31,560 --> 00:17:35,360 your nature because let's look at the life in the spirit before we come back to this 270 00:17:35,360 --> 00:17:39,720 chart again, Galatians chapter 5 verse 16, we see that the element of the behavior of 271 00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:43,840 these men are as though they were walking in the flesh. 272 00:17:43,840 --> 00:17:50,280 I said then walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh for the 273 00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:55,200 flesh lust against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary. 274 00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:59,920 So a spirit walking in the spirit is contrary to walking what? 275 00:17:59,920 --> 00:18:00,920 The flesh. 276 00:18:00,920 --> 00:18:06,880 So that you do not do the things that you wish quickly but if you are led by the spirit 277 00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:09,040 you are not under the law. 278 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:14,600 Now the works of the flesh are evident we will know that these are the works of the 279 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:22,400 flesh adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, 280 00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:32,320 lusts, art boss of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, 281 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:38,720 revelries and the likes etc. of which I tell you beforehand just as I also told you in 282 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:44,600 the time past that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God 283 00:18:44,600 --> 00:18:49,000 and this seems to be the same lifestyle we see in the Corinthian church even though they 284 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:52,800 are sent but the fruit of the spirit is what? 285 00:18:52,800 --> 00:18:57,640 It's love right and we say that this love in this love there is joy in it amen? 286 00:18:57,640 --> 00:19:02,040 In this love there is peace in it, in this love there is long suffering in it, in this 287 00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:06,000 love there is kindness in it, in this love there is goodness in it, in this love there 288 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:11,280 is faithfulness in it, gentleness, self-control against all juries nor law and those who are 289 00:19:11,280 --> 00:19:15,500 Christ have crucified the flesh with his passions and desires. 290 00:19:15,500 --> 00:19:21,200 If we live in the spirit then let us walk in the spirit, let us not become conceited, 291 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:26,160 provoking one another, aiming one another but then we see this church walking contrary 292 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:29,160 to their nature as spiritual men. 293 00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:35,440 They are living, they are offending themselves, division, you know, controversies every day, 294 00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:40,960 problems as a result of you know their inability to allow the spirit of God to find expression 295 00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:44,840 through their life, demonstrating it in love. 296 00:19:44,840 --> 00:19:47,840 These folks were initiating lawsuit against themselves. 297 00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:52,720 Chapter 6, 1 Corinthians chapter 6 verse 1 to 11 you see where they are suing each other, 298 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:58,000 cheating each other, they will do business, a brother in Christ will do business and then 299 00:19:58,000 --> 00:19:59,600 he will dupe his brother. 300 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:05,680 I don't understand how is that this chapter 6 would dare, dare any of you having a matter 301 00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:12,280 against another, go to the law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? 302 00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:16,840 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world and if the world will be judged 303 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:21,440 by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 304 00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:27,960 Do you not know that we shall judge angels how much more things that pertains to this 305 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:28,960 life? 306 00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:36,120 If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those 307 00:20:36,120 --> 00:20:39,100 who are least esteemed by the church to judge? 308 00:20:39,100 --> 00:20:45,600 I say this to your shame, it is so that there is not a wise man among you, all of you are 309 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:51,240 foolish, not even one of you who will be able to judge between this is his brother, that 310 00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:53,240 means you have matters. 311 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:57,360 Some of you have issues with your husbands in the same church, before we know you call 312 00:20:57,360 --> 00:20:58,360 police. 313 00:20:58,360 --> 00:21:03,440 I mean there is a problem with you, if the church does not call police, you should not 314 00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:04,440 call police. 315 00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:06,960 In fact there are some cases that they have brought to me, I say see let's call police 316 00:21:06,960 --> 00:21:07,960 straight. 317 00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:10,400 It is not in our jurisdiction to handle, right? 318 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:15,560 But when it comes to brother to brother, if you have a spirit of love in you, then it 319 00:21:15,560 --> 00:21:19,000 is not to drag ourselves all over social media. 320 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:24,400 Some of us, the police we send people to is social is a public opinion, even before you 321 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:28,600 speak to your brother you have already posted it on your status, you have broadcast it to 322 00:21:28,600 --> 00:21:32,800 your people and then your status becomes a notice board, where people even know that 323 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:34,800 they have offended you. 324 00:21:34,800 --> 00:21:37,200 That is not working in love. 325 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:41,800 I say this to your shame, it is so that there is not a wise man among you, not even one 326 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:48,000 who will be able to judge between his brethren, he is asking, but brother goes to law against 327 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:51,240 brother and that before what, unbelievers. 328 00:21:51,240 --> 00:21:57,360 Now therefore it is already an utter failure for you, that you go to law against one another. 329 00:21:57,360 --> 00:21:59,280 Why do you not rather accept wrong? 330 00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:03,040 That is why can't you just forfeit, just be cheated. 331 00:22:03,040 --> 00:22:07,440 Rather than going to the unbelievers, those who don't even have the love of God in their 332 00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:12,400 heart, you know there are some unbelievers that are even surprised at how believers behave 333 00:22:12,400 --> 00:22:13,400 within themselves. 334 00:22:13,400 --> 00:22:17,920 If this is the kind of Jesus you preach then we don't want to be a partaker of it. 335 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:22,040 Some unbelievers are more righteous than you, at least they can lift a lot of things to 336 00:22:22,040 --> 00:22:23,480 slight, right? 337 00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:25,880 Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated? 338 00:22:25,880 --> 00:22:28,440 No, you yourself do wrong and cheat. 339 00:22:28,440 --> 00:22:34,800 It is not that you yourself are cheating yourselves, you are cheating yourselves, you do transactions, 340 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:38,920 the person who sends a transaction of five thousand, the person who sends four or nine, 341 00:22:38,920 --> 00:22:42,680 when the price is fifty point five, he says because it is you, I am giving you a broader 342 00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:44,720 price so you sell it at fifty one. 343 00:22:44,720 --> 00:22:50,080 You know there is something in Nigeria, whenever you go to a shop, I don't know about other 344 00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:54,000 countries, and the person says it is because of you, it is because I know you, just know 345 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:57,200 that it is because he knows you actually that you can pay. 346 00:22:57,200 --> 00:23:00,400 But let it be just, right? 347 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:01,400 Let it be just. 348 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:05,400 You cheat one another and you do these things to your who? 349 00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:08,120 To your brethren, to the brothers in Christ. 350 00:23:08,120 --> 00:23:09,120 Hallelujah. 351 00:23:09,120 --> 00:23:15,440 You do this to your brothers in Christ and this is a life not led by the Spirit. 352 00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:20,160 Even though these men are spiritual men, but they have the potency to do what? 353 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:24,960 To walk in the flesh, to allow, to walk in a nature that is not theirs. 354 00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:28,240 So for you as an individual, how do you judge yourself? 355 00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:33,080 How do you analyze your conduct in the body of Christ? 356 00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:37,800 Do you rather allow yourself to be cheated by a brother than to just cause heaven to 357 00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:41,560 fall on earth because of a little issue? 358 00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:44,440 Do you quickly bring issues to church? 359 00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:50,200 Or you form a committee of friends to dissect matters, to discuss issues, to judge, to get 360 00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:51,200 for sympathy? 361 00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:53,880 Where do you measure yourself? 362 00:23:53,880 --> 00:23:58,800 Now the centrality of the book of 1 Corinthians is to bring these people to a point where 363 00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:00,920 they walk in love. 364 00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:02,320 Hallelujah. 365 00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:07,680 As Paul was addressing every single issue, the issue is that they are not walking in 366 00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:08,680 love. 367 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:12,440 The issue is that they are not allowing the Spirit of God to lead them. 368 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:17,300 Because when the Spirit of God leads the life of a man, we see love expressed in him. 369 00:24:17,300 --> 00:24:19,240 We see him responding to the Spirit of God. 370 00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:21,800 We see love expressed in all facets. 371 00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:24,220 We see him able to understand with others. 372 00:24:24,220 --> 00:24:26,420 We see him showing empathy to others. 373 00:24:26,420 --> 00:24:31,920 We see him showing deep concern for the welfare of others. 374 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:35,640 So in chapter 13, we see him anchoring his conversation on the real matter. 375 00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:40,640 It says, though I speak with tongues, which they do, of men and of angels, what I have 376 00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:44,600 not loved, I have become a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 377 00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:46,600 That means you are just making noise. 378 00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:50,360 That means that you are just making an empty sound. 379 00:24:50,360 --> 00:24:56,240 There's no use for you, Professor, because you see, the essence or the environment by 380 00:24:56,240 --> 00:25:01,600 which prophecies and the world of knowledge and all those things will thrive to be in 381 00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:08,360 an atmosphere of love, where the goal is not to outshine your neighbor, right, but is to 382 00:25:08,360 --> 00:25:11,000 minister to the needs of your brother. 383 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:15,320 The essence of what you're saying, give your brother, prophesy to your brother, pray for 384 00:25:15,320 --> 00:25:20,920 your brother, bless your brother, is for you to express love to your brother and to your 385 00:25:20,920 --> 00:25:21,920 sister. 386 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:25,120 It's not to show that you are spiritually mature, that you know I can speak in terms 387 00:25:25,120 --> 00:25:26,120 of what I can prophesy, no. 388 00:25:26,120 --> 00:25:29,040 It's to the end that we walk in love. 389 00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:34,160 So we say that we are to imitate the way God has loved us. 390 00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:39,560 Our own love, right, must be the kind of love with which God has loved us. 391 00:25:39,560 --> 00:25:46,520 Ephesians 5 verse 1, we've looked at it previously, be imitators of God as their children and 392 00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:47,520 do what? 393 00:25:47,520 --> 00:25:55,280 And walk in love as Christ also has loved us and given himself for us, an offering and 394 00:25:55,280 --> 00:25:58,800 a sacrifice for a sweet smelling what? 395 00:25:58,800 --> 00:25:59,800 Aroma. 396 00:25:59,800 --> 00:26:02,520 So we see Paul explaining this kind of love. 397 00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:07,560 Verse 4 says love, give me this verse 4 in the Amplified. 398 00:26:07,560 --> 00:26:13,280 There's love that suffers long, no, 1 Corinthians 13 verse 4. 399 00:26:13,280 --> 00:26:17,680 Love that suffers long, Amplified, yes. 400 00:26:17,680 --> 00:26:21,000 Love endures long and what? 401 00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:23,360 And is patient and kind. 402 00:26:23,360 --> 00:26:26,320 God has been enduring us, amen. 403 00:26:26,320 --> 00:26:29,960 He has endured us and God is love. 404 00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:32,960 And that same love lives in us, so we have the ability to tolerate others. 405 00:26:32,960 --> 00:26:36,800 We have the ability to be patient towards one another. 406 00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:41,880 Love is never envious. 407 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:46,680 Love never is envious, no boys are with jealousy. 408 00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:52,800 You know I heard someone say something that, oh this person is not jealous, that he loves 409 00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:53,800 me but he's not jealous. 410 00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:56,600 How can you be saying a believer should be jealous? 411 00:26:56,600 --> 00:27:00,040 As a what kind of love are you expecting to come from in that he's in a relationship with 412 00:27:00,040 --> 00:27:04,880 you and you want the person to be jealous about you? 413 00:27:04,880 --> 00:27:07,600 And is a dangerous kind of love you're looking for, not the love of God. 414 00:27:07,600 --> 00:27:08,600 Are you together? 415 00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:13,640 If the person is jealous and should act in jealousy towards another person because of 416 00:27:13,640 --> 00:27:18,400 you, one day he will demonstrate that spirit on you because that's not from God. 417 00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:22,920 So true love is never envious, no boys are with jealousy. 418 00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:23,920 It is not what? 419 00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:25,920 Postful or vain, glorious. 420 00:27:25,920 --> 00:27:30,900 It's all about you want to take the glory for everything they have done. 421 00:27:30,900 --> 00:27:35,680 You did a project, before we know it you are the one that have, even if you did all, you 422 00:27:35,680 --> 00:27:38,960 do not display yourself heartily as five. 423 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:39,960 It is not conceited. 424 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:42,200 What does it mean to be conceited? 425 00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:45,800 To be arrogant and inflated with pride from your words. 426 00:27:45,800 --> 00:27:51,640 The way we hear you speak to your brothers, this sounds condescending because you've hit 427 00:27:51,640 --> 00:27:54,440 some level of knowledge. 428 00:27:54,440 --> 00:27:58,840 You know some Greek and Hebrews and then you become condescending. 429 00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:00,880 You start looking down on people. 430 00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:02,280 You feel that you are already down. 431 00:28:02,280 --> 00:28:03,280 Nobody is your friend. 432 00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:08,200 Are you not so unaware that everybody is avoiding you? 433 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:11,600 Because the moment they come close to you, you make them feel less of themselves. 434 00:28:11,600 --> 00:28:14,200 So what do they do when they see you, they greet you and they move. 435 00:28:14,200 --> 00:28:17,640 Even on Sunday, nobody wants to shake your hand because they don't know the word, even 436 00:28:17,640 --> 00:28:18,640 when you are given word of knowledge. 437 00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:21,880 There are some people who say look for a neighbor, they avoid you. 438 00:28:21,880 --> 00:28:24,040 Nobody wants to even hold your hands and pray with you. 439 00:28:24,040 --> 00:28:25,760 You miss the blessing of men. 440 00:28:25,760 --> 00:28:27,140 Are we together? 441 00:28:27,140 --> 00:28:30,920 Because men are an asset in your life that God has put around you. 442 00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:32,400 You miss the blessings of men. 443 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:37,840 You miss the blessings of men that have been arranged to be a blessing to you, that are 444 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:41,640 supposed to uplift you, that are supposed to correct you, that are supposed to furnish 445 00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:42,640 you. 446 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:45,640 You miss the blessings of friendship, people at your own level. 447 00:28:45,640 --> 00:28:49,000 Because everybody will be avoiding being with you. 448 00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:51,240 And I can assure you that you cannot live alone. 449 00:28:51,240 --> 00:28:54,880 This Christian life is meant to be lived in the community. 450 00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:56,520 Are we together? 451 00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:58,280 We are meant to live in the community. 452 00:28:58,280 --> 00:29:00,560 You have root to lead us. 453 00:29:00,560 --> 00:29:05,160 Yes, it is not root, unmanly. 454 00:29:05,160 --> 00:29:08,400 Even if you are older than a person, it does not act unbecomingly. 455 00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:10,680 Love, what kind of love? 456 00:29:10,680 --> 00:29:14,760 God's love in us does not insist on his own rights. 457 00:29:14,760 --> 00:29:17,480 I don't want to begin to say something because you think it's your mother and I'm discussing 458 00:29:17,480 --> 00:29:18,480 your poop it. 459 00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:22,200 A brother and a sister did business in this church. 460 00:29:22,200 --> 00:29:24,920 They wanted to tear their clothes because of commission. 461 00:29:24,920 --> 00:29:27,640 Some of you, when you start coming, will not see. 462 00:29:27,640 --> 00:29:30,400 We've taught you enough to start knocking your head physically. 463 00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:35,720 I mean, what inspired that kind of violent lifestyle? 464 00:29:35,720 --> 00:29:37,560 You always want to do what? 465 00:29:37,560 --> 00:29:38,560 To be the one to gain. 466 00:29:38,560 --> 00:29:39,560 You don't know. 467 00:29:39,560 --> 00:29:40,560 Let me tell you something. 468 00:29:40,560 --> 00:29:41,560 You don't know if your brother gains. 469 00:29:41,560 --> 00:29:42,560 It's better. 470 00:29:42,560 --> 00:29:44,520 It's to your own advantage. 471 00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:45,520 You don't know. 472 00:29:45,520 --> 00:29:49,740 The moment you see your sister is blessed, envy enters. 473 00:29:49,740 --> 00:29:56,040 When you begin to feel uncomfortable at the blessings of others, it means that you have 474 00:29:56,040 --> 00:30:01,280 a fundamental problem that needs to be checked because you cannot enjoy the blessings of 475 00:30:01,280 --> 00:30:04,440 others if you are envious of them. 476 00:30:04,440 --> 00:30:06,960 Even if you are in a problem, they want to help you, you say no. 477 00:30:06,960 --> 00:30:08,720 Come on, I'm okay. 478 00:30:08,720 --> 00:30:09,720 I'm okay. 479 00:30:09,720 --> 00:30:10,720 You're not really okay. 480 00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:11,720 You need help. 481 00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:12,720 And allow people to help. 482 00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:13,720 You see pride, envy. 483 00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:14,720 There are conjunct twins. 484 00:30:14,720 --> 00:30:18,200 If you separate one, the other will die. 485 00:30:18,200 --> 00:30:20,160 And it's not love. 486 00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:23,240 It's not walking in love. 487 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:25,760 Love does not seek its own way. 488 00:30:25,760 --> 00:30:27,920 For it is not self-seeking. 489 00:30:27,920 --> 00:30:32,320 It is not touchy or any little thing you provoke. 490 00:30:32,320 --> 00:30:36,560 People are even scared of even telling you that this thing you did is not right because 491 00:30:36,560 --> 00:30:38,240 they don't know how you respond. 492 00:30:38,240 --> 00:30:42,640 Everybody is very, oh, when it comes to, ah, bro, Matthew, not you. 493 00:30:42,640 --> 00:30:44,800 Ah, his case is different. 494 00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:49,680 And you can, even your leaders are not comfortable speaking to you because of the response that 495 00:30:49,680 --> 00:30:50,680 can come from you. 496 00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:51,680 It is not self-seeking. 497 00:30:51,680 --> 00:30:55,360 It is not touchy or fretful or resentful. 498 00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:59,920 It takes no account of evil done to it. 499 00:30:59,920 --> 00:31:03,240 It pays no attention to what is so far to wrong. 500 00:31:03,240 --> 00:31:05,440 I've explained this before. 501 00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:10,760 You have an archive full of everybody's sin that have committed sin against you in this 502 00:31:10,760 --> 00:31:11,760 church. 503 00:31:11,760 --> 00:31:18,880 If you are 50 years old and you are keeping wrong of everybody in your life that has offended 504 00:31:18,880 --> 00:31:21,360 you, you have a very big library. 505 00:31:21,360 --> 00:31:26,400 It does not rejoice at what injustice serves him right. 506 00:31:26,400 --> 00:31:27,400 It deserves it. 507 00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:31,360 And unrighteousness but rejoices when the right and truth prevails. 508 00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:37,080 Verse seven, love bears up under anything. 509 00:31:37,080 --> 00:31:41,960 If I were the one that wrote this thing, you would say, oh, I'm saying it because I've 510 00:31:41,960 --> 00:31:42,960 not experienced what you've experienced. 511 00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:43,960 Well, it's the Bible. 512 00:31:43,960 --> 00:31:46,200 It's above my experience, actually. 513 00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:49,320 The Word of God is above our individual experiences. 514 00:31:49,320 --> 00:31:53,880 Love bears up under anything and everything that comes. 515 00:31:53,880 --> 00:31:56,880 Is ever ready to do what? 516 00:31:56,880 --> 00:32:00,480 To believe the best of every person. 517 00:32:00,480 --> 00:32:03,600 You at the moment, see, there are some people that don't believe that anything good can 518 00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:04,600 come out of people. 519 00:32:04,600 --> 00:32:10,600 Anything you just hear about people, no, it's not possible. 520 00:32:10,600 --> 00:32:11,780 You may not affect it now. 521 00:32:11,780 --> 00:32:13,240 You don't believe that people can be good. 522 00:32:13,240 --> 00:32:14,960 You don't believe that people can get better. 523 00:32:14,960 --> 00:32:16,640 You don't believe that people can grow. 524 00:32:16,640 --> 00:32:20,240 You don't believe that people can actually be great in what they do. 525 00:32:20,240 --> 00:32:25,960 It hopes are faithless, which means that it doesn't fade away under all circumstances. 526 00:32:25,960 --> 00:32:28,800 It endures everything without what? 527 00:32:28,800 --> 00:32:29,800 Without weakening. 528 00:32:29,800 --> 00:32:31,960 I mean, it perseveres. 529 00:32:31,960 --> 00:32:32,960 Love never fails. 530 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:38,800 It never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end. 531 00:32:38,800 --> 00:32:40,200 As for prophecies, you can prophesy. 532 00:32:40,200 --> 00:32:42,120 And what will happen? 533 00:32:42,120 --> 00:32:43,120 They will fail. 534 00:32:43,120 --> 00:32:46,720 Whether there are tongues, a prophecy, the gift of what? 535 00:32:46,720 --> 00:32:47,720 Go back. 536 00:32:47,720 --> 00:32:50,560 A prophecy, that's a gift of interpreting the divine will and the purpose. 537 00:32:50,560 --> 00:32:54,680 It will be fulfilled and does it and pass away. 538 00:32:54,680 --> 00:32:58,040 As for tongues, they will be destroyed and ceased. 539 00:32:58,040 --> 00:33:00,760 As for knowledge, the knowledge you have, it will pass away. 540 00:33:00,760 --> 00:33:04,560 It will lose its value and be superseded by truth. 541 00:33:04,560 --> 00:33:08,160 For our knowledge is fragmentary, incomplete and imperfect. 542 00:33:08,160 --> 00:33:14,280 And our prophecy, our teaching is fragmentary, incomplete and imperfect. 543 00:33:14,280 --> 00:33:20,240 So the essence is that we will walk in love, that whatever we do, we allow the spirit of 544 00:33:20,240 --> 00:33:24,720 God to instigate every action and every motive behind the things we do. 545 00:33:24,720 --> 00:33:29,480 Walking in love, imitating the kind of love that God has demonstrated towards us. 546 00:33:29,480 --> 00:33:33,040 And in our relationship and our living with one another, we allow the spirit of God to 547 00:33:33,040 --> 00:33:36,720 guide our conduct, to guide our relationships. 548 00:33:36,720 --> 00:33:39,200 Colossians chapter 3 verse 12, it says, 549 00:33:39,200 --> 00:33:46,320 Clothe yourself therefore as God's unchoosing ones, his unpicked representatives, who are 550 00:33:46,320 --> 00:33:52,400 purified and holy and well-beloved by God himself by putting on the behavior marked 551 00:33:52,400 --> 00:34:00,920 by what tender heartedness, piety and mercy, kind feeling, a lowly opinion of yourself. 552 00:34:00,920 --> 00:34:04,360 This one is not talking about low self-esteem. 553 00:34:04,360 --> 00:34:05,360 Are we together? 554 00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:06,640 It's not feeling, oh, I'm not worthy. 555 00:34:06,640 --> 00:34:07,640 That's not what it means. 556 00:34:07,640 --> 00:34:11,600 It means that you put the interests of others ahead of your own interests. 557 00:34:11,600 --> 00:34:12,600 Are we together? 558 00:34:12,600 --> 00:34:18,840 A lowly opinion of yourselves, dental way, patience, which is tireless and long-suffering 559 00:34:18,840 --> 00:34:22,800 and has the power to endure whatever comes with good temper. 560 00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:25,240 Be gentle and forbearing with one another. 561 00:34:25,240 --> 00:34:30,280 And if one has a difference, a grievance or a complaint against another, readily pardoning 562 00:34:30,280 --> 00:34:35,160 each other, even as the Lord has freely forgiven you. 563 00:34:35,160 --> 00:34:39,280 And we noted that there must be no condition or requirements to our forgiveness. 564 00:34:39,280 --> 00:34:42,840 God in Christ does not ask that condition of walking in love. 565 00:34:42,840 --> 00:34:48,560 I wanted to go into the script, some texts, some biblical verses that seems to speak otherwise. 566 00:34:48,560 --> 00:34:49,560 Right? 567 00:34:49,560 --> 00:34:52,240 You will begin to dissect them. 568 00:34:52,240 --> 00:35:01,640 For example, now some Bible scriptures seems contrary to what we've read as the gospel 569 00:35:01,640 --> 00:35:02,640 of being unconditioned. 570 00:35:02,640 --> 00:35:07,960 For example, now Matthew 6 verse 14-15, I think we dealt with this in the cell, we'll 571 00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:09,800 do this again hopefully next time. 572 00:35:09,800 --> 00:35:11,760 But let's look at Matthew 6 verse 14-15. 573 00:35:11,760 --> 00:35:16,960 Matthew 6 verse 14-15 says, So if you forgive their trespasses, their reckless and willful 574 00:35:16,960 --> 00:35:22,200 sins, leaving them, letting them go and giving up resentment, your heavenly Father will also 575 00:35:22,200 --> 00:35:26,600 forgive, which means that our forgiveness is what makes God forgive us. 576 00:35:26,600 --> 00:35:30,840 But if you do not forgive others, their trespasses, their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, 577 00:35:30,840 --> 00:35:36,580 letting them go and giving up resentment, neither will your Father forgive your trespass. 578 00:35:36,580 --> 00:35:40,920 So it invalidates everything we've been saying. 579 00:35:40,920 --> 00:35:47,080 So if a scripture says one thing and another seems to be saying contrary in another part 580 00:35:47,080 --> 00:35:51,320 of the scriptures, then there's need for us to study to understand what text is saying. 581 00:35:51,320 --> 00:35:54,640 Another one, Mark 11 verse 25. 582 00:35:54,640 --> 00:35:55,640 Mark 11 verse 25. 583 00:35:55,640 --> 00:36:00,480 And whenever you start praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him and let 584 00:36:00,480 --> 00:36:05,560 it drop in order that your Father who is in heaven may also, so it seems as though God 585 00:36:05,560 --> 00:36:07,900 is learning how to forgive from us men. 586 00:36:07,900 --> 00:36:12,080 He may also forgive your own failings and shortcomings and let them drop, which means 587 00:36:12,080 --> 00:36:15,560 that if you don't forgive, God will not forgive. 588 00:36:15,560 --> 00:36:18,000 And if God does not forgive, God is living in what? 589 00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:19,360 God is living in malice. 590 00:36:19,360 --> 00:36:20,360 God is sinning. 591 00:36:20,360 --> 00:36:22,560 That's what it means. 592 00:36:22,560 --> 00:36:23,960 Unforgiveness is sinning, right? 593 00:36:23,960 --> 00:36:28,840 So if you don't forgive, which you are a man, you don't forgive. 594 00:36:28,840 --> 00:36:32,120 And God with whole forgiveness, it means that God is in the wrong. 595 00:36:32,120 --> 00:36:34,740 It means that God is not leading with the example. 596 00:36:34,740 --> 00:36:39,240 So is this what the scripture is saying, Matthew chapter 18 verse 34-35, we'll also see another 597 00:36:39,240 --> 00:36:40,240 one here. 598 00:36:40,240 --> 00:36:43,240 This is a parable actually, Matthew 18-35. 599 00:36:43,240 --> 00:36:49,400 It says, And in wrath his master turned him over, that's the unforgiving servant, to 600 00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:54,560 torture us, the jailers, till he should pay all that he owed. 601 00:36:54,560 --> 00:37:01,360 So also my heavenly Father will deal with every one of you if you do not freely forgive 602 00:37:01,360 --> 00:37:04,960 your brother from your heart his offenses. 603 00:37:04,960 --> 00:37:08,480 And then how we've interpreted this is that when we don't forgive people, God will not 604 00:37:08,480 --> 00:37:09,480 forgive us. 605 00:37:09,480 --> 00:37:11,520 Is that what this text is saying? 606 00:37:11,520 --> 00:37:20,160 Luke 6.7, Luke 6.7, Judge not, neither pronouncing judgment nor subjecting to censure, and you 607 00:37:20,160 --> 00:37:21,720 will not be judged. 608 00:37:21,720 --> 00:37:27,200 Do not condemn and pronounce guilty, and you will not be condemned and pronounced guilty. 609 00:37:27,200 --> 00:37:33,720 Acquit and forgive and release, give up resentment, let it drop, and you will be acquitted and 610 00:37:33,720 --> 00:37:34,720 forgiven and released. 611 00:37:34,720 --> 00:37:39,480 And we will keep seeing scriptures that speak, we are going to come back and we'll explain 612 00:37:39,480 --> 00:37:40,480 this text. 613 00:37:40,480 --> 00:37:43,640 Now I've not explained this text, alright? 614 00:37:43,640 --> 00:37:47,680 We're going to have a proper understanding, and where are we going to arrive? 615 00:37:47,680 --> 00:37:52,240 We're going to arrive at a point where God's love towards us was his own condition, and 616 00:37:52,240 --> 00:37:53,240 God is faithful. 617 00:37:53,240 --> 00:37:57,640 The Bible says that even when we remain unfaithful, he remains faithful because he cannot deny 618 00:37:57,640 --> 00:37:59,440 his own nature as God. 619 00:37:59,440 --> 00:38:00,440 Hallelujah. 620 00:38:00,440 --> 00:38:04,760 So we're going to establish our understanding in scriptures as this. 621 00:38:04,760 --> 00:38:10,520 We are talking about forgiveness, we're talking about love, we're talking about forgiving 622 00:38:10,520 --> 00:38:15,280 people, forgiving people who have offended us, who have a proper understanding of what 623 00:38:15,280 --> 00:38:17,180 God has done for us. 624 00:38:17,180 --> 00:38:22,240 So when you come across scriptures like this, how do we interpret this text? 625 00:38:22,240 --> 00:38:26,080 And I trust that God will give us understanding as we come to this word in the name of Jesus. 626 00:38:26,080 --> 00:38:29,840 Close your eyes and pray and thank God for this year. 627 00:38:29,840 --> 00:38:35,200 52 Sundays, or is it 53? 628 00:38:35,200 --> 00:38:41,160 Plus Wednesdays, plus Fridays, sometimes you have Tuesdays. 629 00:38:41,160 --> 00:38:45,360 Just appreciate God for how his word has been coming to you throughout the year, and as 630 00:38:45,360 --> 00:38:50,320 we look towards the new year, that you will be a doer of God's word, that you will be 631 00:38:50,320 --> 00:38:54,680 an efficient doer of God's word, that there be a desire in you to do the word and not 632 00:38:54,680 --> 00:38:58,160 only here alone. 633 00:38:58,160 --> 00:39:01,120 Thank you for listening to today's sermon. 634 00:39:01,120 --> 00:39:02,760 Your journey matters to us. 635 00:39:02,760 --> 00:39:05,520 Let's keep walking together. 636 00:39:05,520 --> 00:39:11,640 Visit our website for more resources and follow us on social media to stay updated. 637 00:39:11,640 --> 00:39:15,680 Feel free to check the show notes for additional insights. 638 00:39:15,680 --> 00:39:19,720 If today's message was a blessing, share it with a friend. 639 00:39:19,720 --> 00:39:21,640 Until next time, be blessed.