Welcome to NECF Sermons. Each message here is
designed to uplift and strengthen you in your
walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until
the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive
right in. So today we're going to be looking
at the word together. disciples or being a disciple.
So Matthew chapter 28 Matthew chapter 28 verse
18 verse 18 to 20 It says, And Jesus came and
spoke to them, saying, All authority has been
given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore,
and make disciples of all nations. baptizing
them in the name of the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all
the things that I have commanded you, and lo,
I am with you, even to the end of the age. Praise
the Lord. Even to the end of the age. So Jesus
spoke to his disciples to go and make disciples,
to go and teach. to go and share concerning him
baptizing people in the name of the Lord right
and there are many people who even in our time
or a generation that are believers or have received
the word of God or yet are acting in a way that
suggests to us that they are not actually believers
They have received the word. It could be as a
result of coming from a local church back at
home. But their life currently is not showing
that these people are children of God, that they
have a relationship with the Lord. And sometimes
you wonder why that is. Why is it that people
who have believed, people who know God, yet...
They show you that, or they live a life that
shows that they probably do not know God or they
have a lack of understanding of what has happened
to them. So, and part of the reason why that
is, why there is those type of abnormality is
because of the place of lack of teaching. They
are not properly taught concerning the things
that have happened to them. Praise the Lord.
They have belief, but then there is no place
where there is teaching, where there is tutoring,
where people come to learn about the life that
they have currently, or the life that they live,
or the life that they have in Christ currently.
So lack of teaching is a contributing factor
to these things, why people live in a certain
way that suggests to us that they are not children
of God, but they are children of God. They have
believed God. They are saved, but their life
does not show it or they don't know what to do.
So Jesus tells his disciples to go. He has given
them authority. They should go, therefore, make
disciples of all nations. So everyone who has
believed in the gospel, everyone who has believed
the gospel, everyone who has come to the knowledge
of God, everyone who has believed that which
Christ has done for them. who has the life of
Christ, should start being discipled or should
start learning or should start getting taught,
consigning the life that they have now. That
is the thing or that is the response that a believer
or somebody who is just coming to Christ should
know. That is also a lifestyle that a person
who is in Christ should continue to have, a place
where they are constantly learning, a place where
they are constantly being taught. A place where
they are constantly being rich and they defy.
Praise the Lord. So everybody who has believed
in Christ needs to start learning. Praise the
Lord. We see from verse 19, he tells them they
should go and make disciples of one nation, baptizing
them in the name, baptizing in the name of the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And then
he says you teach them to observe. So teaching
them, giving them instructions to observe. Right?
So when he says to teach them, It is an instruction
to teach. It is an instruction to teach. So to
teach means to instruct. To teach means to instruct.
To instruct them. It means to instruct a student.
It implies to instruct a student. To make somebody
to learn. Praise the Lord. To make someone to
learn. To make someone to learn. A student does
not necessarily know why they need some knowledge,
why these teachings are coming to them. But at
the end of the teaching or at the end of the
semester, they will come to the knowledge why
this is important. Praise the Lord. So it's important
for the teacher to continue to teach, to continue
to give instructions, to continue to show them
the way or teach them. Praise the Lord. So they
don't know or understand it, but they need learning.
They need to start learning. So that they don't
have. They don't come to that. Place where. They
have something. But yet they don't understand
it. Praise the Lord. So we also see in. So like
I said. The word teach means to instruct. To
make someone to learn. To make somebody come
to understand it. So we also have in Matthew.
Chapter 9. Verse 14. Where we also see. a word
again that tells us about disciples. Matthew
chapter 9 verse 14. Matthew chapter 9 verse 14,
it says, then the disciples of John came to him
saying, why do we and the Pharisee fast? Then
the disciples of John came to him saying, why
do we and the Pharisee fast often? But your disciples
do not fast. Praise the Lord. Why do we? So the
word disciple here as well refers to somebody
that learns from another school. These people
that were disciples of John, they were people
who were learning from John. They were people
who had been instructed by John. Praise the Lord.
They were people who had been instructed by John.
So the disciple there means that someone who
learns from another. These people are the learner
of John. They're the ones learning from John.
Praise the Lord. They are learning from John.
So John there refers to, John has a people that
they are being referred to him as disciples.
These are people that are learning from him.
These are the people that John is informing them.
Praise the Lord. The knowledge they have, the
understanding they have are things that they
got from John. Praise the Lord. So that's why
they came to Jesus and they say, we have a practice.
Why is it that your disciples do not have this
practice that we have? Praise the Lord. Because
the healer has instructed them, has told them
that they need to fast. So they have gotten information
from John that they have heeded to. Praise the
Lord. So there are people who are learning from
John. So we also see Where also a learner is,
or to learn is being referenced in Matthew chapter
11. Matthew chapter 11, verse 29, where Jesus
says that you should take my yoke and learn from
me. Matthew chapter 11, verse 29. He says, take
my yoke and learn from me, for I'm gentle and
lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your
soul. For my yoke is easy and my burden... He's
light, praise the Lord. So he says to them, they
should take upon, they should take my yoke, they
should take his yoke upon him and learn from
him. So the word learn there means, is the word
to increase one's information, right? It is the
word matona, which means to increase, to increase
one information or to hear or to be informed
by somebody, right? To learn by the... Use by
use and by practice. Praise the Lord. To learn
by use or by practice. So it means a learner,
to learn or to be a learner. Praise the Lord.
So we see that these people that are called disciples
are people that learn from another person. So
we see that they learn from John. We see also
that they have taken instruction from him. So
John has influence on these people. John has
people who are informed by him. So these are
the disciples of John, people who receive information
from him, who are informed by John, praise the
Lord. So there are people that receive information
from John. So the question that we have is, how
are you informed or who informs you? Who gives
you the information of your living? Praise the
Lord. Who gives you the information of your living?
What informs your life? What makes you do the
things that you do? Something made John's disciples
to be fasting. Something made them to go on and
fast. But the disciples of Jesus were not fasting.
And so they asked Jesus, why do we fast often
and your disciples don't? So who gives you the
information or who has informed your life? And
that has affected the way that you live. Who
has informed the principles of your life? Who
has given you these principles? And then Matthew
chapter 10, we see also Jesus' disciples. Jesus
called his 12 to him and gave them authority
to drive out. In pure spirit, there's a new international
version. Matthew 10, verse 1. It says, when he
has called his 12 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
diseases. Praise the Lord. So Jesus has his own
disciples. So Jesus called the 12, right? So
these are Jesus' disciples. They are men who
have been learning from him. So these are men
who have been learning from Jesus. These are
men who have been instructed by him, who he has
gained influence over. So he tells them to go
and do some things. Praise the Lord. So he instructs
them in the way they should go. So they were
not just people who were just learning from him
or receiving instruction from him. But also there
were people who were also learning how he interpreted
or how he discussed the scriptures. Praise the
Lord. There were people also who learned the
pattern of how to interpret the scriptures, how
to properly read the scriptures, how to give
an explanation that is more greater than that
which the Pharisees are able to get. So there
were many things they were learning from him.
Giving them instructions on the things to do.
But they also observed him. They saw the things
that he did. And he has influence over their
lives. Such that they are able to learn how he
explained the scriptures. So we see how Jesus
shows. So we see Jesus explaining the scriptures
as well. In Matthew chapter 7, verse 12. Matthew
chapter 7, verse 12. Verse 12 says that, therefore,
whatever you want men to do to you, do also to
them, for this is the law and the prophet. So
he tells them that whatever you want men to do
to you, do also to them, for this is the law
and the prophet. So when he says this is the
law and the prophet, what he's saying is that,
he's saying that this is the... He's referring
to the Old Testament of the Bible. He's referring
to the Old Testament of the Bible. And then in
verse 28, sorry, 28 to 29 now, it says, so that
is, Jesus was teaching, so there was people who
were observing what he was doing. And so verse
28 now said, so it was when Jesus has ended his
saying that his people were astonished at his
teaching, for he taught them as one having authority.
not as described. Praise the Lord. He taught
them as one, having authority, not as described.
Some other versions will put this teaching as
doctrine, which we know he's talking about the
same thing. So the word here, teaching or doctrines,
implies an explanation. So he explained the scriptures
to them properly. They were astonished by his
explanation. Praise the Lord. They were astonished
by his explanation. So when he says the people
were astonished, he was referring to the people
who were astonished by his explanation of the
Old Testament scriptures. Praise the Lord. The
people were astonished concerning his explanation
of the Old Testament scriptures. So it therefore
means that Jesus has a mode of explanation of
the Old Testament. And the disciples also were
influenced by this. Praise the Lord. So he has
a way in which he explains the Old Testament.
He didn't explain it as a scribe. He didn't explain
it as somebody who was without knowledge, but
he explained it in a way that was more powerful
than the way the scribes or the Pharisees would
explain it. Praise the Lord. Jesus taught the
scriptures, giving examples on how the scriptures
should be properly explained. So the disciples
were there, and they saw these things, and this
has an influence in their life concerning how
the scriptures should be explained. So his disciples
were with him also, or they stayed in this particular
pattern of explanation. They stay in this particular
pattern of learning. So the mode of interpreting
the scriptures or the mode of explanation of
the scriptures, the disciples were acquainted
with it because they were with Jesus. They were
together with him and they learned from him.
And they got all this experience from him. Praise
the Lord. So when he says the law and the prophet,
he's referring... to the Old Testament of the
Bible. And then Luke, we also see in Luke chapter
24, Luke chapter 24, verse 25. Luke chapter 24,
verse 25. So he said to them, and he said to
them, all foolish ones shall have had to believe
all that the prophet has spoken, all that the
prophet has spoken. Praise the Lord. And then
from verse 44 now to 45. So Luke 24, 25, verse
26. And then verse 44 to 45 now. He says, These
are the words which I speak to you while I was
still with you, that all these things will be
fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses,
and in the prophet, and in the Psalms, and in
the Psalms consigning me. And he opened the understanding
that they might comprehend. So we also see another
pattern here that he shows. He says to them,
beginning from Moses, in verse 27, beginning
from Moses and all the prophet, he expounded
to them the things. He responded to them in all
the scriptures, the things concerning himself.
So his mode of explaining the scriptures is that
he goes from the beginning. So when he says beginning,
beginning from Moses, he's talking about the
beginning of the writing. He's talking about
the first book that was written by Moses. He's
talking about the first set of books that were
written in the Old Testament, which were written
by Moses. So he expounded to them the things
consigning himself. Like I said, the disciples
were there to learn some of these things that
he is giving or he is expounding to them. So
in verse 44, then he said to them, these are
the words which I speak to you while I'm still
with you, that all things must be fulfilled,
which are written in the law of Moses and the
prophet and the Psalms consigning me. Then you
open the understanding that they may comprehend
me. So he also is telling them that it's not
just beginning from Moses. He also goes to the
prophets. He also goes to the Psalms. He also
goes to the things. He's also telling them the
things which were written or which were... He
also was telling them the things that were written
concerning him which were found in the Psalms
and the prophets concerning him. Praise the Lord.
And the disciples, like I said, were... In tune,
or they were learning this pattern from him.
They learned this mode of explanation. Not like
the scribes and the Pharisees. They learned what
it means to properly interpret the scriptures.
And then we also see this word, disciples, in
Acts of the Apostles. So if we open to Acts of
the Apostles, Acts chapter 6, Acts chapter 6,
Acts chapter 6, verse 1. It says, Now in those
days, when the numbers of the disciples were
multiplied, there was a complaint against the
Hebrew by the Hittites because the widows were
neglected in the daily distribution. He said
the number of the disciples were multiplied.
And then we also see the same thing in Acts chapter
11. Acts chapter 11 verse 26. Acts chapter 11
verse 26. Then when he found him, he brought
him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year
they assembled in the church and taught a great
many people. And the disciples were called Christians
in Antioch. The first called Christians in Antioch.
Acts chapter 14 verse 22. Acts chapter 14 verse
22. Strengthening the souls of the disciples,
exalting them. to continue in faith and saying,
we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom
of God. And then Acts chapter 2, verse 41 and
42. Verse 41 says, And those who gladly received
his word were baptized, and that day about 3
,000 souls were added to them. And they continue
steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and in
fellowship and in the breaking of bread and in
prayers. They continue steadfastly in the apostles'
doctrine and in the breaking of bread and in
prayers. Praise the Lord. So the word continue
here implies that they stayed in the apostles'
doctrine. They stayed in something that has been
said or done. The apostles' doctrine is what
has been said. or what has been done, right?
So it's something that is there. That is, the
apostles taught from the scriptures, right? So
they continued in the pattern of the apostles,
that the apostles taught the scriptures, taught
from the scriptures in a manner that Jesus has
done to them, right? And instructed them to do
so. So the apostles have learned from Jesus,
right? And they are teaching these people and
these people are continuing in the same pattern.
of teaching the scriptures in a manner that Jesus
has taught to them, even as he has instructed
them to. So back to Matthew chapter 28, where
he gives them the instructions to preach the
word. So we also know that, you also should know
that the disciples were the people that Jesus
was speaking to here. So they are people that
they already have taught. They were people that...
He had taught, right? There were people that
have learned from him. There are people that
have received a pattern from him on how they
should teach or how they should give instruction
or how they should go, right? There are people
that were already taught by him. They have received
this instruction. They have understood how Jesus
taught. They have understood Jesus' mode of teaching
or explaining the scriptures. They have also
understood Jesus' way of living. Praise the Lord.
So there are people that have learned from him.
There are people that have received from him.
There are people that are well -equipped because
he was with them for that long. Praise the Lord.
So these were the audience, or these are the
people that he was speaking to. When he tells
them that they should go and teach, he tells
them to go and teach all the nation. Praise the
Lord. So they were to teach, they were to make
disciples of all the nation. Praise the Lord.
And making disciples is an important fact. That
was what we saw from the book of Acts. It's an
important theme of the church. There were people
who were making disciples. They were going out
there to make disciples. Praise the Lord. So
these people have been influenced by God, by
Jesus. These disciples have been influenced by
him. So they can go out and make disciples. Praise
the Lord. They know how to interpret the scriptures.
They know how to, from the beginning. From the
book of Moses or from the beginning. And in the
prophet, explain the things concerning Christ.
So they have this pattern already. They have
this understanding already. And they also have
a lifestyle. They have also seen the way Jesus
has lived his life. And they also are living
in a certain way. There are people who have been
informed by God. Praise the Lord. They themselves
have received information. So the pattern of
their lives is... like those who have been informed
by God. So Jesus is the influence of their life.
Praise the Lord. He has influenced how they understand
the scriptures. He has influenced how they study
the scriptures. He has influenced how they interpret
the scriptures or how they explain the scriptures.
He has influenced their life that they no longer
are fishermen or they are no longer people who
were doing so many other things before. But now
their concentration now is to teach the world,
to make disciples of one nation. Praise the Lord.
To make disciples of one nation. So people who
have believed, like I said from the beginning,
people who have believed should start learning.
Praise the Lord. People who have believed should
start learning. And what it is that they should
start learning? They should start learning the
way... They should start learning the way of
the scriptures. They should start learning how
to understand the scriptures. They should start
learning their new realities in Christ. Praise
the Lord. So that just like the way Jesus had
influence on his disciples, just like the way
he had influence upon them, they also will be
influenced by him. Praise the Lord. So that they
also will be influenced by him. So that their
lifestyle will no longer be in contradiction
to the things that they have believed. So that
they are able to also from beginning from Moses
and all the prophets, they will also know the
things, they will also understand the things
consigned into Christ. Praise the Lord. They
will also know the things consigned into Christ.
They will understand their new reality in Christ.
They will know that their lifestyle is ought
to be in a particular way because they have stayed
in the place of learning. So without this place
where people are disciples or stay being disciples
through the world and through the men of God
that are around, they are not able to live the
life they are supposed to live. They are not
able to properly understand the things of God.
Praise the Lord. They are not able to know their
new realities or the reality that they live in
right now. And they will continue to live. in
contradiction of the things that they have been
saved from. Praise the Lord. So everybody that
has belief needs to start learning the scriptures
and their new realities and also be informed
by God or be informed by Christ. Praise the Lord.
So we see our new realities, right? The newness
of life or the reality that a believer has. Romans
chapter 6. Romans chapter 6 Romans chapter 6
verse 4 to 7 he says that therefore we are buried
with him through baptism into death that just
as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory
of the father even so we also shall walk in unity
of life if we have been united together in the
likeness of his death certainly we are also We
shall also be in the likeness of his resurrection,
knowing this, that our old man was crucified
with him, that the body of sin might be done
away with, that we should no longer be slaves
to sin. For he who died is free from sin. Praise
the Lord. So we also see, like I said, that the
disciples have been informed by God, right? They
have been informed by Christ in their path. of
living in the way that they have lived their
life so we also as as people need to also continue
to get to continue to be acquainted with the
life that we have right and part of the new life
that we or part of the new things that we have
is our realities in christ that we are new creation
that we are people who have been free from the
power of sin and the power of death we have been
free from we have been we have been people who
are set to live In the newness of life. Or to
walk in the newness of life. Praise the Lord.
Galatians chapter 2. Verse 20. Galatians. Galatians
chapter 2. Verse 20. If I have been crucified
with Christ. It is no longer I who live. But
Christ who lives in me. And the life I live now.
In the flesh. I live by faith in the son of God.
Who loved me. And gave himself for me. He said,
I've been crucified with Christ. It is no longer
I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life
which I live now, I live in him. Sorry, the life
that I live, I no longer live. Sorry, I've been
crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who
live, but Christ lives in me. And the life which
I live now in the flesh, I live by the faith
in the Son of God who loved me and died for me.
Praise the Lord. I live in the life that Christ
has in me. He's been saying that you are in Christ,
right? I live in what he has done for me. I live
in the reality of that which God has done for
me. I live in a way or in a person that shows
what Christ has done for me. And then chapter
3, chapter 3 from verse 27 to 29. He said, for
as many as were baptized unto Christ have put
on Christ. Therefore, there is neither Jews nor
Greek. There is neither slave nor free. There
is neither male or female. For you are all one
in Christ Jesus. Praise the Lord. You are all
one in Christ Jesus. It means that we have put
on a new man. We have put on Christ. The reality
that we have now is that we have put on Christ.
Praise the Lord. It's a depiction of being in
sync together with him. It's a depiction of being
together with him, to be in Christ, to be closer
in oneness with him. Praise the Lord. Some illustration
we say to be to be. Clothed together with him.
Right. To be one with him. So that is the reality
of the man that is in Christ. Romans. That is
the reality of a man that is in Christ. So in
doing all of these things, in knowing our realities,
in understanding our realities. Then we are informed
by him. We are informed by him. And we continue
to stay informed by him. Romans chapter 12. Romans
chapter 12. Romans chapter 12. Romans chapter
12. your body a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable
to God, which is your reasonable service. He
said, do not be conformed to this world, but
be transformed by the renewal of your mind that
you may prove what is that good and acceptable
and perfect will of God. So he tells us that
we should present It tells us that you should
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy
and acceptable unto God. So the presentation
of our bodies, right, holy and acceptable to
God is only impossible because we are in Christ.
Praise the Lord. It's only impossible because
we are in Christ. There's a man in Christ that
can present his body a living sacrifice. Praise
the Lord. It's being in Christ that gives us
the ability or the enablement to present ourselves.
So it is only impossible because we're in Christ
that we're able to present our members to him
a living sacrifice. It is only because of the
realities of what Christ has done. that we're
able to present our members a living sacrifice
to him. Praise the Lord. And he tells us that
do not be conformed. So even the enablement not
to be conformed is also as a result of the realities
that we have in Christ. The strength or the ability
to not be conformed is only impossible because
of what we have in Christ or the reality that
we have in Christ. Praise the Lord. That we are
together with him and that we are in Christ is
the only advantage or the ability that is given
to us to be able to give us the strength not
to be conformed. Praise the Lord. So the devil
knows that there is nothing he can do about our
salvation. There is nothing that he can do about
what has happened to us. But one of the things
he will do is not to want to us, he wants to
influence us. So he tells us not to be conformed.
So he knows that he would like us to think of
something else. He would want us to be conformed
to a particular image. He would want us not to
live that life that God intends for us. He would
want to inflect that place where he wants us
to live a life that is not what God intends for
us to live. Praise the Lord. He knows there is
nothing he can do about our salvation. He wants
us to conform to something else. He wants us
to conform to something else. Praise the Lord.
So to conform, that is, it means that one's mind
or character, it changes to another, right? Or
to fashion oneself according to something else
or according to something or to a particular
thing. Praise the Lord. To fashion oneself according
to something else, according to a particular
pattern, according to that which is not in accordance
to the reality of the person. Praise the Lord.
To be conformed is for one's mind or character
to go a different pattern, to be fashioned to
be different than that which you ought to be.
Praise the Lord. To that which you ought to be.
So he wants believers to want something else
or to want something more, if you like. He's
saying, okay, maybe this thing that you have
is not sufficient enough. Maybe you should do
something else. Praise the Lord. You should conform
to something else. You should conform to something
else. Or you need more things. You need more
things to your salvation. You need something
else to your salvation. You need to explore some
other ways. Those are some of the suggestions
that he will give to us. Praise the Lord. He
wants you to believe that you need something
else than that which Christ has given you, that
you need something more. But our reality in Christ
is enough. That which we have in Christ is enough.
There's nothing more that you're looking for.
Praise the Lord. Somebody once said that you
know people that that god has given some people
good families and maybe good husband or wife
but they will decide that they want something
they want to do something more right and at the
end of the day they are going to lose that which
they already have that was good or they're going
to lose that which was valuable to them praise
the lord so he wants to suggest to us that we
need something more We need something more. So
the writer of Romans tells us that we should
not be conformed to these things, right? The
reason why he tells, he said, do not be conformed,
right? You do not be conformed because he knows
that we are people who can be influenced. Praise
the Lord. We are people who can be influenced.
We are people who can be informed. We are people
who can be, who can learn something, right? We
are people that can learn. We can be conformed
to something. But he wants God to influence us.
That is why he says that you should be transformed
by the renewal of your mind. So he wants the
influence of God upon our lives, upon our daily
lives. That's why he says that you should be
transformed by the renewal of your mind. I was
sharing with somebody and said that if you see
somebody who is struggling, let's say a good
example is that they have like the temptations
and they are struggling with either a sexual
scene or addiction online pornography and stuff
it doesn't say on their face right it doesn't
it doesn't say you don't you don't dictate it
by looking at them praise the lord but it is
something that they are going through except
they open their mouth or you see it that's when
you will know that something is going on here
Praise the Lord. And the strength that we have
is not by either the physical strength that you
have, but by the information that you have gathered
or what you are conformed to or what you have
allowed to influence your life. What you have
allowed to take hold of your life or to inform
you or to give you the information that you need.
Praise the Lord. To give you the information
that you need. He tells us that we should renew.
our mind, that we may prove that which is good
and perfect, that we may prove that which is
good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
He won the influence of God upon our lives to
stay in the reality of what we have, to stay
in the reality of what God has given us, what
we have in Christ. And then Psalm 1 tells us,
Someone tells us that it's a blessed man who
walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor
stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat
of discomfort. He said, but his delight is in
the law of the Lord, and he meditates day and
night. He said, he shall be like a tree planted
by rivers of water that brings forth its fruit
in season, whose leaves shall not wither. Whatever
he does shall prosper. He said, but the ungodly
are not so. They are like shafts that the wind
blows away. Therefore, the ungodly shall not
stand in judgment, nor sinners in the congregation
of the righteous. But the Lord knows the ways
of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly
shall perish. Praise the Lord. It tells us that
blessed is that man, right, who does not walk
in the counsel of the ungodly, who is not influenced
by evil, who is not influenced by... evil things.
But he said, but his delight is in the law of
the Lord. That is, to a man who has decided that
his life, his joy and his delight is to do the
things of God. To walk in the reality that he
has in God. He says, to delight in the law of
the Lord and to meditate on it day and night.
So in doing so, he says, he is like a tree planted
by He's like a tree planted by rivers of water.
Because of the influence of the world, because
of the influence of the delights that he has
in the world, because of the influence of thinking
about the things of God, there is growth, there
is nourishment, there is fruitfulness in the
life of such an individual because he has allowed
the influence. He has allowed himself to find
the light in the law of the Lord, to meditate
on it day and night, right? He says it's like
three planted by rivers of water. Because of
that which he has chosen to do, right, there's
prosperity around him. There's growth, right?
Because of that which he's taking in, which he
allows himself to take in, something comes out,
and that is fruitfulness. That is fruitfulness.
That is that there is fruit that is seen. He
shall not wither. Praise the Lord. When the storms
of life or when challenges come, he's able to
stand. He's able to find encouragement because
he has allowed the Lord to be his refuge. He's
allowed the Lord to be his dwelling place, his
sacred place, or his place where he finds delight.
Praise the Lord. So he tells us not to be transformed
by the renewal of our mind, to be influenced
by God, to allow our minds to be transformed
and be renewed by God. Praise the Lord. So the
same way that Jesus has influence, the same way
as he had influence in his disciples, in the
things, in the way that they have lived their
life. In the way that we are able to understand
the scriptures. In the same way that he wants
us to be able to learn. To be able to continue
to grow. To be able to continue to learn from
him. Paul will tell us to imitate him even as
he imitates Christ. Telling us to imitate Christ
in essence. So to live our lives like him. Praise
the Lord. So, like I said, the reason why we
have the abnormality of someone being a believer
and yet they are not able to, they are not living
as such is because there is a place where learning
was not effective or learning was not initiated
or continual learning was not... was not going
on. Praise the Lord. So as a result of learning,
we're able to be influenced by him and continue
to be influenced by him. Praise the Lord. Amen.
So thank you so much for today. We appreciate
you being here today. We hope you carry this
word with you throughout your week. Don't forget
to check the show notes for additional insights.
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Until next time, stay blessed.