WEBVTT 00:00:01.260 --> 00:00:06.700 Welcome to NECF sermons. Each message here is 00:00:06.700 --> 00:00:09.720 designed to uplift and strengthen you in your 00:00:09.720 --> 00:00:14.019 walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until 00:00:14.019 --> 00:00:17.960 the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive 00:00:17.960 --> 00:00:26.120 right in. What it means to make disciples. Making 00:00:26.120 --> 00:00:27.859 disciples. Last week we looked at disciples. 00:00:28.239 --> 00:00:32.000 What it means to be a disciple. This week we'll 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:35.780 be looking at making disciples. Praise the Lord. 00:00:36.520 --> 00:00:40.500 So we said that from last week, we read Matthew 00:00:40.500 --> 00:00:43.619 chapter 28, which is also our key scriptures 00:00:43.619 --> 00:00:53.439 for today. Matthew 28, from verse 18 to 20. So 00:00:53.439 --> 00:00:56.500 Jesus came and said to them and spoke to them 00:00:56.500 --> 00:00:59.950 saying, All authority has been given to me in 00:00:59.950 --> 00:01:03.170 heaven and on earth. Go and make disciples of 00:01:03.170 --> 00:01:05.390 all nations, baptizing them in the name of the 00:01:05.390 --> 00:01:08.489 Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching 00:01:08.489 --> 00:01:11.430 them to observe all the things I have commanded 00:01:11.430 --> 00:01:15.469 you. And, Lord, I am with you always, even to 00:01:15.469 --> 00:01:21.849 the end of the age." So we said that everyone 00:01:21.849 --> 00:01:26.629 who believes Everyone who believes in Christ 00:01:26.629 --> 00:01:30.549 should start learning immediately. Everyone who 00:01:30.549 --> 00:01:34.069 believes in Christ should start learning immediately. 00:01:34.609 --> 00:01:38.829 Because this is a command that Christ has given 00:01:38.829 --> 00:01:41.670 to us. There is a place of learning. Learning 00:01:41.670 --> 00:01:45.030 the things that has been, or learning the reality 00:01:45.030 --> 00:01:47.689 that we have, which we looked at in the later 00:01:47.689 --> 00:01:51.069 part of the sermon of that day. Learning the 00:01:51.069 --> 00:01:55.060 reality of who we are. learning this new life 00:01:55.060 --> 00:01:58.159 that we have in God or learning this new life 00:01:58.159 --> 00:02:00.879 that we have in Christ. So everybody who has 00:02:00.879 --> 00:02:03.659 believed, everybody who has believed the gospel, 00:02:03.859 --> 00:02:07.760 there is need to be a learning process because 00:02:07.760 --> 00:02:12.120 we don't want to live a contradiction. We don't 00:02:12.120 --> 00:02:15.560 want to live a life that is not our identity. 00:02:16.539 --> 00:02:18.900 We don't want to live a life that is not our 00:02:18.900 --> 00:02:22.479 identity. We want to live a life that it shows 00:02:22.479 --> 00:02:25.680 that truly we are children of God. Truly something 00:02:25.680 --> 00:02:28.620 has happened to us. Truly we carry the spirit 00:02:28.620 --> 00:02:32.000 of God in the inside of us. So everybody who 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:34.620 believes should start learning immediately so 00:02:34.620 --> 00:02:36.960 that they don't leave their former life or they 00:02:36.960 --> 00:02:40.419 don't leave a contradiction. We looked at that 00:02:40.419 --> 00:02:43.659 when he says to teach, he's giving an instruction 00:02:43.659 --> 00:02:47.280 or implies an instruction to people. That is, 00:02:47.280 --> 00:02:51.240 he's telling them to teach. us to teach a little 00:02:51.240 --> 00:02:55.139 child to teach a student praise the lord so he 00:02:55.139 --> 00:02:59.080 tells them to teach right you should teach them 00:02:59.080 --> 00:03:01.180 to observe all the things that he has commanded 00:03:01.180 --> 00:03:04.719 them and lo he is with them always even to the 00:03:04.719 --> 00:03:07.139 end of the age and we also looked at the word 00:03:07.139 --> 00:03:10.460 disciple and which we said in reference to someone 00:03:10.460 --> 00:03:13.659 who learned from another praise the lord somebody 00:03:13.659 --> 00:03:18.310 who learns from another Somebody who learns from 00:03:18.310 --> 00:03:20.729 another. We looked at examples of how the disciples 00:03:20.729 --> 00:03:24.810 of John and the disciples of Jesus were learning 00:03:24.810 --> 00:03:27.669 from them. The disciples of John learned from 00:03:27.669 --> 00:03:30.849 him. They learned how to fast. The Pharisees 00:03:30.849 --> 00:03:34.289 as well fasted. We also saw that the disciples 00:03:34.289 --> 00:03:37.389 of Jesus were also learning from him. Part of 00:03:37.389 --> 00:03:39.449 the things they learned from him, apart from 00:03:39.449 --> 00:03:42.610 the way he lived his life and how he moved, was 00:03:42.610 --> 00:03:45.030 also that they learned how to study the scriptures. 00:03:45.719 --> 00:03:49.159 they witnessed him properly explain the scriptures 00:03:49.159 --> 00:03:52.020 how to study the scriptures how to understand 00:03:52.020 --> 00:03:54.819 the scriptures so they saw that they saw how 00:03:54.819 --> 00:03:57.659 jesus explained the scriptures so they learned 00:03:57.659 --> 00:04:00.120 this technique of explanation of the scriptures 00:04:00.120 --> 00:04:04.060 reasonable and so it's in the same learning on 00:04:04.060 --> 00:04:06.180 how to read the scriptures that they were able 00:04:06.180 --> 00:04:09.400 to teach others So they learned and they gave 00:04:09.400 --> 00:04:11.400 it to others. They learned and they continue 00:04:11.400 --> 00:04:15.139 this tradition or they continue in the doctrine 00:04:15.139 --> 00:04:23.180 of how Jesus taught. So they learned how to understand 00:04:23.180 --> 00:04:27.079 the scripture. So they understand how Jesus explained 00:04:27.079 --> 00:04:29.860 the scriptures because they were with Jesus. 00:04:30.819 --> 00:04:33.180 So they were with Jesus and they had all this 00:04:33.180 --> 00:04:35.790 experience. They were his audience. so the way 00:04:35.790 --> 00:04:38.470 he explained the scriptures is how he explained 00:04:38.470 --> 00:04:40.910 the scriptures so jesus giving command to them 00:04:40.910 --> 00:04:45.129 to go and make disciples of all nations because 00:04:45.129 --> 00:04:47.250 he knows that they have learned what it means 00:04:47.250 --> 00:04:49.990 to make disciples because they have learned from 00:04:49.990 --> 00:04:52.189 him they have learned firsthand from him what 00:04:52.189 --> 00:04:55.610 that is like they are qualified students or they 00:04:55.610 --> 00:04:58.689 are qualified people to transfer this knowledge 00:04:58.689 --> 00:05:05.439 to other people praise the lord and so To teach, 00:05:05.480 --> 00:05:07.480 so they were to teach, that is make disciples 00:05:07.480 --> 00:05:10.860 of all nations, because they were disciples themselves. 00:05:11.660 --> 00:05:14.920 They were disciples themselves. So making disciples 00:05:14.920 --> 00:05:18.040 also, we saw that it was an important fact, or 00:05:18.040 --> 00:05:20.660 it was an important factor of the early church. 00:05:21.060 --> 00:05:24.199 The church in Acts, there were people who were 00:05:24.199 --> 00:05:26.560 making disciples. There was increment in them. 00:05:26.680 --> 00:05:29.420 There were more disciples that were coming to 00:05:29.420 --> 00:05:33.060 them. And we also said that our reality in Christ 00:05:33.060 --> 00:05:37.699 is enough. Our reality in Christ is enough. So 00:05:37.699 --> 00:05:41.480 there is no need for conformity. Our reality 00:05:41.480 --> 00:05:45.779 in Christ is enough. That we should let God influence 00:05:45.779 --> 00:05:50.079 our life. We should let God influence our life 00:05:50.079 --> 00:05:53.699 or how we live our life. We should stay true 00:05:53.699 --> 00:05:57.399 to our realities and not be conformed to the 00:05:57.399 --> 00:06:00.069 system or the pattern of the world. or to let 00:06:00.069 --> 00:06:03.529 the enemy deceive us or confuse us in regards 00:06:03.529 --> 00:06:07.550 to how we should live our life. Praise the Lord. 00:06:08.550 --> 00:06:12.250 So today as well, in this same Matthew chapter 00:06:12.250 --> 00:06:17.990 28, we also see that he's telling them to make 00:06:17.990 --> 00:06:22.189 disciples, to make disciples, to make disciples. 00:06:22.569 --> 00:06:26.550 So what does he mean to make disciples? What 00:06:26.550 --> 00:06:29.209 does he mean by telling them they should go and 00:06:29.209 --> 00:06:32.750 make disciples of all nations? He's telling them 00:06:32.750 --> 00:06:35.910 that this is the responsibility as a disciple 00:06:35.910 --> 00:06:39.350 that you have, or this is a responsibility as 00:06:39.350 --> 00:06:42.610 a child of God that you have. This is a responsibility 00:06:42.610 --> 00:06:46.050 that is settled on you as a result of the life 00:06:46.050 --> 00:06:48.829 that you have in God, or as a result of the life 00:06:48.829 --> 00:06:53.790 that you have in Christ. This is your responsibility. 00:06:53.790 --> 00:06:56.350 It's an assignment that you should carry on to 00:06:56.350 --> 00:06:58.790 do. You should make the cycles of organization 00:06:58.790 --> 00:07:01.850 to replicate the same thing that has happened 00:07:01.850 --> 00:07:04.870 to you, to do the same things that have occurred 00:07:04.870 --> 00:07:08.029 in your life, right? That place of training, 00:07:08.149 --> 00:07:10.870 because they were with Jesus for three and a 00:07:10.870 --> 00:07:16.389 half years. They saw the things that he did. 00:07:16.430 --> 00:07:19.009 There was a place of training. So they were under 00:07:19.009 --> 00:07:23.230 training. They were under... to touch you. Praise 00:07:23.230 --> 00:07:25.529 the Lord. So he's telling them that they should 00:07:25.529 --> 00:07:28.889 go as well and disciple other people. Teaching 00:07:28.889 --> 00:07:31.189 them. And he said he should command, like teaching 00:07:31.189 --> 00:07:34.170 them to observe the things I commanded you. And 00:07:34.170 --> 00:07:37.189 lo, I'm with you always to the end of the age. 00:07:37.389 --> 00:07:40.089 Praise the Lord. So in this teaching, as we said, 00:07:40.189 --> 00:07:43.750 we said it's a place to instruct. It is training. 00:07:44.189 --> 00:07:48.569 To make disciples is to train. Praise the Lord. 00:07:48.939 --> 00:07:54.819 is to instruct is to a let someone learn from 00:07:54.819 --> 00:07:57.399 we say a disciple is somebody who a disciple 00:07:57.399 --> 00:08:00.160 is somebody who learned from another right so 00:08:00.160 --> 00:08:04.060 you make disciples you don't look for disciples 00:08:04.060 --> 00:08:07.500 praise the lord so the instruction of jesus is 00:08:07.500 --> 00:08:10.560 to make disciples and not look for disciples 00:08:10.560 --> 00:08:13.660 so for example you you know there are several 00:08:13.660 --> 00:08:18.939 instances where people maybe start a church And 00:08:18.939 --> 00:08:22.800 then instead of training or looking for people 00:08:22.800 --> 00:08:25.699 that are not going to church, they will go and 00:08:25.699 --> 00:08:28.980 get people that are going to church because they 00:08:28.980 --> 00:08:33.259 want to fill their auditorium or they want to 00:08:33.259 --> 00:08:35.840 ensure that their church is full or they want 00:08:35.840 --> 00:08:38.419 to attract people from other places. That's not 00:08:38.419 --> 00:08:40.659 the mind of God. That's not the way God wants 00:08:40.659 --> 00:08:43.419 us to do it. He wants to make disciples. The 00:08:43.419 --> 00:08:46.860 same way that people... the same way that the 00:08:46.860 --> 00:08:49.759 disciples came and from beginning they knew nothing, 00:08:49.879 --> 00:08:52.940 they just followed God and over time there was 00:08:52.940 --> 00:08:55.480 a place of training, there was a place of maturity, 00:08:55.820 --> 00:08:58.019 there's a place of growth and there's a place 00:08:58.019 --> 00:09:00.500 where they have come to a place where they resume 00:09:00.500 --> 00:09:03.600 leadership positions and that's why they are 00:09:03.600 --> 00:09:08.039 known as apostles. So they have come to a place 00:09:08.039 --> 00:09:10.700 of responsibility, it's the same way we should 00:09:10.700 --> 00:09:15.200 also go about making disciples. He said, do not 00:09:15.200 --> 00:09:18.500 go to look for people who are already in church, 00:09:18.659 --> 00:09:21.419 right? Or people who are already established 00:09:21.419 --> 00:09:25.539 in a church. Go and look for people who are not 00:09:25.539 --> 00:09:29.720 in any church, who have no knowledge of the things 00:09:29.720 --> 00:09:32.480 of God, who has no understanding of the things 00:09:32.480 --> 00:09:36.299 of God. Praise the Lord. So it is a place to 00:09:36.299 --> 00:09:40.919 make, making disciple is not, is not a, is an 00:09:40.919 --> 00:09:45.149 instruction to labor. It's an instruction to 00:09:45.149 --> 00:09:47.929 labor in the lives of people. It's an instruction 00:09:47.929 --> 00:09:52.190 to pay a price in the life of people. That is, 00:09:52.230 --> 00:09:55.029 teaching them the things concerning Jesus, teaching 00:09:55.029 --> 00:09:57.549 them the things concerning the life that they 00:09:57.549 --> 00:10:04.649 have. Praise the Lord. So, the same way that, 00:10:04.690 --> 00:10:06.889 as I explained, the disciples were somewhere 00:10:06.889 --> 00:10:09.730 else. There was a particular time before they 00:10:09.730 --> 00:10:13.179 met Jesus, there was a state of... of mind they 00:10:13.179 --> 00:10:15.639 have or a state of belief or their level of growth 00:10:15.639 --> 00:10:19.159 but as a result of their work with jesus as a 00:10:19.159 --> 00:10:22.019 result of the many teachings that jesus was teaching 00:10:22.019 --> 00:10:25.179 them because primarily they were they were the 00:10:25.179 --> 00:10:29.740 audience of jesus right they were with him everywhere 00:10:29.740 --> 00:10:33.059 he went so they learned from him they received 00:10:33.059 --> 00:10:35.519 training from him they received instruction from 00:10:35.519 --> 00:10:38.500 him he said i've given you all authority they 00:10:38.500 --> 00:10:40.480 should go and preach the word they will go go 00:10:40.480 --> 00:10:42.820 and get me this they'll go and get him go and 00:10:42.820 --> 00:10:46.240 do this go and preach the word or go on and heal 00:10:46.240 --> 00:10:49.100 the sick they will go right teachings concerning 00:10:49.100 --> 00:10:51.899 their lives we saw that there were people who 00:10:51.899 --> 00:10:54.440 have been influenced who have been taught is 00:10:54.440 --> 00:10:56.899 the same price or is the same price that we have 00:10:56.899 --> 00:11:00.059 to pay praise the lord is the same price we have 00:11:00.059 --> 00:11:02.840 to pay because so at some point we were somewhere 00:11:02.840 --> 00:11:06.019 praise the lord at some point we were somewhere 00:11:06.019 --> 00:11:08.899 where we had no understanding of these things 00:11:09.529 --> 00:11:12.289 We have no understanding of what it means to 00:11:12.289 --> 00:11:17.169 know God to the level which we know God now. 00:11:17.590 --> 00:11:20.169 A good example is that there was a time in my 00:11:20.169 --> 00:11:24.049 life that I was not praying in tongues. And I 00:11:24.049 --> 00:11:28.889 don't know how to fake things. Until I received 00:11:28.889 --> 00:11:32.110 training or I received a teaching consigning 00:11:32.110 --> 00:11:35.210 it, I was not going to do it. Until I understood 00:11:35.210 --> 00:11:38.690 it or scripturally it is explained to me. There 00:11:38.690 --> 00:11:41.429 was no way I was going to do it. Praise the Lord. 00:11:41.830 --> 00:11:44.029 And somebody asked me, how did you pray for? 00:11:44.610 --> 00:11:46.529 I mean, we used to do all night meeting. I don't 00:11:46.529 --> 00:11:48.769 know how I was praying, but I was there. Praise 00:11:48.769 --> 00:11:51.129 the Lord. And I was sure my prayer was answered. 00:11:51.690 --> 00:11:55.029 I was very sure of those. So, but in those areas 00:11:55.029 --> 00:11:57.669 of praying in tongues, there was a need for teaching. 00:11:57.789 --> 00:12:00.610 There was a need for explanation via the scriptures. 00:12:01.029 --> 00:12:02.750 If I didn't see it, I was not going to pray. 00:12:03.389 --> 00:12:05.889 Praise the Lord. And by the grace of God, I saw 00:12:05.889 --> 00:12:09.059 it in the word of the Lord. It was not forcefully. 00:12:09.240 --> 00:12:13.179 It was not just say it, right? It was a proper 00:12:13.179 --> 00:12:16.620 explanation of the things that I have in God. 00:12:16.759 --> 00:12:19.059 And it's something that is freely given. And 00:12:19.059 --> 00:12:21.799 I came to the knowledge of it to be able to begin 00:12:21.799 --> 00:12:25.460 to manifest in it. Praise the Lord. So it's the 00:12:25.460 --> 00:12:28.659 same way that the person who taught it was gracious 00:12:28.659 --> 00:12:31.539 enough. He didn't say, come on, you should know 00:12:31.539 --> 00:12:35.100 this by now. Or this or that, right? It took 00:12:35.100 --> 00:12:38.610 their time to explain. Praise the Lord. So the 00:12:38.610 --> 00:12:40.909 same grace that you received in the place where 00:12:40.909 --> 00:12:43.629 you had no knowledge, you had no understanding, 00:12:44.090 --> 00:12:49.169 you were immature, the same way that somebody 00:12:49.169 --> 00:12:52.190 was gracious to you, or your teacher was gracious 00:12:52.190 --> 00:12:55.690 to you to teach you, to instruct you, to guide 00:12:55.690 --> 00:12:58.470 you, gradually and gradually, and you came to 00:12:58.470 --> 00:13:00.590 this point where you are, and you're continuing 00:13:00.590 --> 00:13:03.429 learning, is the same way we should also go about 00:13:03.429 --> 00:13:07.289 making disciples. Praise the Lord. To give grace, 00:13:07.289 --> 00:13:10.669 to be patient, right? To explain, to give time 00:13:10.669 --> 00:13:13.309 to explain. Praise the Lord. So the disciples 00:13:13.309 --> 00:13:17.210 of Jesus were with him always, all the time, 00:13:17.350 --> 00:13:20.789 or most of the time, they were with him. So they 00:13:20.789 --> 00:13:23.509 learned from him, right? He was gracious to them. 00:13:23.629 --> 00:13:27.129 He explained time again and again, right? He 00:13:27.129 --> 00:13:29.309 was also saying, oh, you should know this by 00:13:29.309 --> 00:13:33.289 now. How is it that you are not able? Even if 00:13:33.289 --> 00:13:36.700 he makes statements. of maybe they're not understanding 00:13:36.700 --> 00:13:39.980 he still goes on to explain praise the lord he 00:13:39.980 --> 00:13:42.039 doesn't just brush them off and then move forward 00:13:42.039 --> 00:13:45.679 so it's the same way that we should go about 00:13:45.679 --> 00:13:52.460 making disciples so the same patient that we 00:13:52.460 --> 00:13:59.179 had is the same thing we should because we have 00:13:59.179 --> 00:14:03.919 seen our maturity is a result of training praise 00:14:03.919 --> 00:14:06.220 the lord our maturity did not just come because 00:14:06.220 --> 00:14:09.200 maybe you know we're just moving on our own it 00:14:09.200 --> 00:14:12.059 was as a result of training it was as a result 00:14:12.059 --> 00:14:15.320 of receiving instruction okay praise the lord 00:14:15.320 --> 00:14:19.480 so you make disciples and you train them right 00:14:19.480 --> 00:14:22.779 that is the root of church growth so how a child 00:14:22.779 --> 00:14:26.960 grows or how the church he become all that god 00:14:26.960 --> 00:14:30.379 wanted to become is by training and by teaching 00:14:30.379 --> 00:14:34.240 praise the lord It is from a place of training 00:14:34.240 --> 00:14:37.539 and by teaching. So you make disciples, you train 00:14:37.539 --> 00:14:40.940 them. This is how the church grows. Praise the 00:14:40.940 --> 00:14:43.139 Lord. So you preach the word to somebody and 00:14:43.139 --> 00:14:44.879 the person believes there's a place of training. 00:14:45.440 --> 00:14:49.820 In NECF, we have put some infrastructures around 00:14:49.820 --> 00:14:53.220 the training to ensure that people come to a 00:14:53.220 --> 00:14:56.820 place of maturity. So there's a place of training 00:14:56.820 --> 00:15:00.019 in that we know that the church will grow. That's 00:15:00.019 --> 00:15:02.259 how you know that the church is growing, not 00:15:02.259 --> 00:15:05.980 numerically. It's not by the numbers of people 00:15:05.980 --> 00:15:09.279 in church. Maybe we had 100 people in church. 00:15:09.480 --> 00:15:12.539 On average, we're having this. This is not how 00:15:12.539 --> 00:15:17.360 the definition of church grows, right? According 00:15:17.360 --> 00:15:20.019 to the will of God. That is not what he wants. 00:15:20.200 --> 00:15:22.279 He wants people to grow, people that are trained, 00:15:22.440 --> 00:15:24.960 people that can train others, people that have 00:15:24.960 --> 00:15:27.100 been trained, people that have been taught so 00:15:27.100 --> 00:15:29.860 that they can teach others. Praise the Lord. 00:15:29.980 --> 00:15:33.340 So that they can teach others. And so this is 00:15:33.340 --> 00:15:36.379 not just beginning. We didn't just see making 00:15:36.379 --> 00:15:43.600 disciples. It didn't start from Matthew 28. But 00:15:43.600 --> 00:15:46.940 we also see it in Exodus. Praise the Lord. We 00:15:46.940 --> 00:15:51.279 also see this practice in Exodus. So Exodus chapter 00:15:51.279 --> 00:15:59.600 18. Exodus chapter 18. Exodus chapter 18, verse 00:15:59.600 --> 00:16:04.340 13. And so it was on the next day that Moses 00:16:04.340 --> 00:16:07.519 sat to judge the people. And the people stood 00:16:07.519 --> 00:16:11.440 before Moses from morning until evening. So when 00:16:11.440 --> 00:16:15.720 Moses' father -in -law saw all that he did for 00:16:15.720 --> 00:16:20.299 the people, he said, What is it that you're doing 00:16:20.299 --> 00:16:24.399 for the people? Why do you sit alone and all 00:16:24.399 --> 00:16:28.440 the people stand? before you morning till evening. 00:16:29.100 --> 00:16:31.259 And Moses said to his father -in -law, because 00:16:31.259 --> 00:16:35.299 the people come to me to inquire of God, when 00:16:35.299 --> 00:16:39.039 they have difficulties, they come to me. I judge 00:16:39.039 --> 00:16:42.600 between one and another and I make known the 00:16:42.600 --> 00:16:46.039 statutes of God and his law. So Moses' father 00:16:46.039 --> 00:16:49.840 -in -law said to him, this thing that you are 00:16:49.840 --> 00:16:53.659 doing is not good. But you and these people who 00:16:53.659 --> 00:16:57.120 are with you. will surely weary yourself out. 00:16:57.539 --> 00:17:00.820 For this thing is too much for you, and you are 00:17:00.820 --> 00:17:04.079 not able to perform it by yourself. Listen to 00:17:04.079 --> 00:17:09.519 my voice. I will give you counsel, and God will 00:17:09.519 --> 00:17:15.720 be with you. Stand before God for the people, 00:17:15.839 --> 00:17:19.740 so that you may bring the difficulties to God. 00:17:20.400 --> 00:17:24.480 Then you shall teach them the statutes. and the 00:17:24.480 --> 00:17:26.960 law and show them the way in which they must 00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:31.240 walk and the work they must do moreover you should 00:17:31.240 --> 00:17:35.039 you shall elect you shall select from all the 00:17:35.039 --> 00:17:39.559 people able men such as fear god men of truth 00:17:39.559 --> 00:17:49.599 hating righteousness such place such over them 00:17:49.599 --> 00:17:53.400 to be rulers over thousands rulers of hundreds 00:17:53.400 --> 00:17:56.259 and rulers of fifties and rulers of times and 00:17:56.259 --> 00:17:59.460 let them judge the people at all times then it 00:17:59.460 --> 00:18:02.559 will be that every great matter they shall bring 00:18:02.559 --> 00:18:05.140 to you and every small matter they shall judge 00:18:05.140 --> 00:18:08.740 they shall themselves judge so it will be easier 00:18:08.740 --> 00:18:13.460 for you that you would bear the burden that they 00:18:13.460 --> 00:18:16.079 will bear the body with you if you do these things 00:18:16.079 --> 00:18:19.599 god so command you then you shall be able to 00:18:19.599 --> 00:18:22.079 endure and all the people will be able to go 00:18:22.079 --> 00:18:25.660 to their place in peace and then he said moses 00:18:25.660 --> 00:18:28.480 heeded to the voice of his father -in -law and 00:18:28.480 --> 00:18:32.579 did all that he has said praise the lord so we 00:18:32.579 --> 00:18:37.019 see here that moses was doing something for the 00:18:37.019 --> 00:18:40.059 people of god and what he was doing is that he 00:18:40.059 --> 00:18:43.680 was he was the judge that was judging every matter 00:18:43.680 --> 00:18:47.599 he was doing many things for them praise the 00:18:47.599 --> 00:18:51.819 lord so he was doing he was Leading them. He 00:18:51.819 --> 00:18:54.259 was doing many great things for them. And his 00:18:54.259 --> 00:18:56.220 father -in -law was just observing what he was 00:18:56.220 --> 00:18:58.519 doing. Praise the Lord. He was observing the 00:18:58.519 --> 00:19:01.220 things that Moses was doing. So the people came 00:19:01.220 --> 00:19:04.059 to him to judge all matters. And he was there 00:19:04.059 --> 00:19:06.519 from morning to night. And he was alone. Just 00:19:06.519 --> 00:19:08.900 by himself. And he was doing this thing. And 00:19:08.900 --> 00:19:11.259 he told him that you be wary. And you and these 00:19:11.259 --> 00:19:14.619 people be wary of yourself. Because it is too 00:19:14.619 --> 00:19:17.599 much for you to do. Praise the Lord. In as much 00:19:17.599 --> 00:19:20.750 as you are receiving the... You are receiving 00:19:20.750 --> 00:19:23.990 the counsel or these difficult matters. You're 00:19:23.990 --> 00:19:26.750 explaining the will of God and the statutes of 00:19:26.750 --> 00:19:29.309 God, or you are receiving the counsel of God 00:19:29.309 --> 00:19:31.809 concerning their life. So you're judging what 00:19:31.809 --> 00:19:34.069 is going on between their life. It is going to 00:19:34.069 --> 00:19:36.509 be too much for you. This is not ideal. It's 00:19:36.509 --> 00:19:39.670 not supposed to be so. It is not supposed to 00:19:39.670 --> 00:19:43.029 be happening this way. So he was doing many things 00:19:43.029 --> 00:19:45.829 for these people, right? Morning till night. 00:19:46.150 --> 00:19:50.200 They were very dependent on him. They were very 00:19:50.200 --> 00:19:53.259 dependent on him. Without him, they were not 00:19:53.259 --> 00:19:56.160 going to do anything, right? They were very dependent 00:19:56.160 --> 00:19:59.339 on him, praise the Lord. And so we see here that 00:19:59.339 --> 00:20:02.059 he's pointing to him that this is not a great 00:20:02.059 --> 00:20:04.559 way to go about it. This is not a great way to 00:20:04.559 --> 00:20:07.799 go about your leadership, praise the Lord, because 00:20:07.799 --> 00:20:12.000 he sits alone. So he tells him that you're supposed 00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:16.420 to raise men. You're supposed to raise men, right? 00:20:17.599 --> 00:20:19.720 You're supposed to raise men. You're supposed 00:20:19.720 --> 00:20:24.220 to train men so that they are able to handle 00:20:24.220 --> 00:20:27.960 some of this responsibility. You're supposed 00:20:27.960 --> 00:20:30.380 to train people so that they are able to handle 00:20:30.380 --> 00:20:33.039 some of this responsibility. If there are big 00:20:33.039 --> 00:20:34.640 matters, they will bring it to you. If there 00:20:34.640 --> 00:20:38.500 are small matters, they will deal with that themselves. 00:20:39.859 --> 00:20:43.740 And then verse 17, he said to him that, he said, 00:20:43.759 --> 00:20:45.519 so his father -in -law said, the thing that you 00:20:45.519 --> 00:20:49.049 are doing is not good. Praise the Lord. So he's 00:20:49.049 --> 00:20:50.809 not saying to him that the things that you're 00:20:50.809 --> 00:20:54.130 doing is not good. That is what he says he's 00:20:54.130 --> 00:20:58.869 doing. He said, I make known the statutes of 00:20:58.869 --> 00:21:00.990 God and his laws. That's not what he's saying 00:21:00.990 --> 00:21:05.289 is not good. Praise the Lord. By teaching them 00:21:05.289 --> 00:21:07.869 the word or by teaching them the statutes of 00:21:07.869 --> 00:21:11.549 God is good. But the fact that he's doing it 00:21:11.549 --> 00:21:16.160 alone is not good. Praise the Lord. This thing 00:21:16.160 --> 00:21:17.940 that you're doing is not good. He's not talking 00:21:17.940 --> 00:21:20.400 about his teaching. He's not talking about the 00:21:20.400 --> 00:21:25.079 laws. He's not talking about what Moses is judging. 00:21:25.740 --> 00:21:27.680 He's just saying that the way he's going about 00:21:27.680 --> 00:21:30.079 it, that he's doing it alone, from morning to 00:21:30.079 --> 00:21:32.900 night, him alone. Everybody will come to him. 00:21:32.980 --> 00:21:37.059 That practice is not good. Praise the Lord. That 00:21:37.059 --> 00:21:42.339 practice is not good. Because he's doing it alone. 00:21:42.460 --> 00:21:45.329 He's standing alone. Right. Because he was alone 00:21:45.329 --> 00:21:49.930 in this thing. Right. So because he does not 00:21:49.930 --> 00:21:53.990 have people like him. So there is nobody else 00:21:53.990 --> 00:21:57.390 like Moses. Right. Because there is no training. 00:21:57.509 --> 00:21:59.230 There's nobody who has been trained to be like 00:21:59.230 --> 00:22:02.549 Moses. So the things he's doing is not good because 00:22:02.549 --> 00:22:05.869 there's nobody like Moses who can judge outside 00:22:05.869 --> 00:22:10.250 from him. Praise the Lord. So he needs to train 00:22:10.250 --> 00:22:14.220 people like him so that they are able. To also 00:22:14.220 --> 00:22:17.660 instruct or they are able to give the people 00:22:17.660 --> 00:22:21.460 counsel or to give the people the will of God 00:22:21.460 --> 00:22:24.180 consigning different situations and different 00:22:24.180 --> 00:22:28.519 circumstances that surrounds them. So he said 00:22:28.519 --> 00:22:31.839 he should make people like you, right? Like I 00:22:31.839 --> 00:22:34.079 said, do not look for somebody else. He's saying 00:22:34.079 --> 00:22:36.619 to them that he should make more people like 00:22:36.619 --> 00:22:40.759 him. He should make more people like him. Don't 00:22:40.759 --> 00:22:46.130 look for... Maybe establish people. So in your 00:22:46.130 --> 00:22:49.890 ministry work. Is to make people like you. Because 00:22:49.890 --> 00:22:52.509 you have received. You have been trained. So 00:22:52.509 --> 00:22:55.049 you can train other people. Praise the Lord. 00:22:56.309 --> 00:22:59.410 So people like him. Making people like him. Or 00:22:59.410 --> 00:23:01.470 people like you. So that they are able to spread 00:23:01.470 --> 00:23:04.569 the word. They are able to make disciples as 00:23:04.569 --> 00:23:07.210 well. They are able to spread the word. They 00:23:07.210 --> 00:23:09.230 are able to make disciples. So that you are not 00:23:09.230 --> 00:23:12.579 doing it alone. Praise the Lord. The intention 00:23:12.579 --> 00:23:15.640 is not for you to carry the body alone, but that 00:23:15.640 --> 00:23:18.119 other people as well are trained so that they're 00:23:18.119 --> 00:23:20.880 able to train and share the word. And so we also 00:23:20.880 --> 00:23:24.519 see that in the examples of Jesus, he primarily, 00:23:24.559 --> 00:23:29.420 as we know, he trained and gave instruction to 00:23:29.420 --> 00:23:32.960 the 12. The 12 did not just go and they were 00:23:32.960 --> 00:23:35.680 just teaching. What I mean teaching is maybe 00:23:35.680 --> 00:23:37.359 they're just preaching to people and they repent 00:23:37.359 --> 00:23:40.539 and they move on. They spend time to teach people 00:23:40.539 --> 00:23:43.779 so that those people are able to also teach other 00:23:43.779 --> 00:23:47.160 people. Praise the Lord. So they spend time to 00:23:47.160 --> 00:23:50.059 teach people and to train them. They spend time, 00:23:50.059 --> 00:23:53.019 we see Paul, we see Peter, they spend their time 00:23:53.019 --> 00:23:56.259 in a particular place to train people. They are 00:23:56.259 --> 00:23:59.000 reasoning with them, discussing with them, teaching 00:23:59.000 --> 00:24:01.220 them doctrines and teaching them the will of 00:24:01.220 --> 00:24:03.700 God so that these people are equipped enough 00:24:03.700 --> 00:24:06.740 to be able to teach other people. Praise the 00:24:06.740 --> 00:24:09.339 Lord. so that the world is able to spread more. 00:24:13.039 --> 00:24:15.859 So they didn't go about saying, okay, maybe they 00:24:15.859 --> 00:24:19.619 talk now as they have it, to say, okay, which 00:24:19.619 --> 00:24:23.099 other people do we have that maybe are like us, 00:24:23.259 --> 00:24:26.160 that, you know, let's go and associate with them. 00:24:26.819 --> 00:24:30.779 Praise the Lord. So we saw even that as a result 00:24:30.779 --> 00:24:34.200 of their, when they became too much in one place, 00:24:34.259 --> 00:24:37.119 persecution arrived so that they would Go to 00:24:37.119 --> 00:24:39.160 different places and do the work they are supposed 00:24:39.160 --> 00:24:42.200 to do. Praise the Lord. Because they have gathered 00:24:42.200 --> 00:24:44.319 themselves in one place and they stayed in one 00:24:44.319 --> 00:24:47.940 place. But if you want them to go to different 00:24:47.940 --> 00:24:51.779 places and make disciples. So to make people 00:24:51.779 --> 00:24:56.500 like you. So that is the job of the discipler. 00:24:56.539 --> 00:25:00.559 To make people like him. So that they are able 00:25:00.559 --> 00:25:03.640 to do the same thing. Praise the Lord. Because 00:25:03.640 --> 00:25:08.019 you cannot be in Cyprus and be in Nigeria. That's 00:25:08.019 --> 00:25:11.059 why as a church, we have the training center, 00:25:11.220 --> 00:25:14.079 we have friends somewhere, and then the plan 00:25:14.079 --> 00:25:18.019 for you is not, let me just find a way that I'm 00:25:18.019 --> 00:25:19.500 going to have fellowship, which is important, 00:25:19.680 --> 00:25:21.980 but also that the things that you have learned, 00:25:22.119 --> 00:25:25.259 the thing that the trainers are taking them to 00:25:25.259 --> 00:25:27.339 train you is the same thing you should pass on 00:25:27.339 --> 00:25:30.259 to other people. Praise the Lord. So that those 00:25:30.259 --> 00:25:33.039 people are able to still pass on the same things 00:25:33.039 --> 00:25:39.180 to all that. Verse 18 of that Exodus now said, 00:25:39.279 --> 00:25:42.900 he said, but you and these people who are with 00:25:42.900 --> 00:25:46.180 you will surely weary yourself out for the things 00:25:46.180 --> 00:25:49.339 is too much for you and you're not able to perform 00:25:49.339 --> 00:25:52.460 it by yourself. Praise the Lord. So you're not 00:25:52.460 --> 00:25:55.599 able to be everywhere at the same time. You're 00:25:55.599 --> 00:25:57.579 not able to do it. You're going to weary yourself. 00:25:58.829 --> 00:26:01.569 Right? You're going to probably start up a church. 00:26:01.789 --> 00:26:06.089 Start a ministry that if you are no longer there, 00:26:06.150 --> 00:26:08.990 nothing will happen. Praise the Lord. So there 00:26:08.990 --> 00:26:12.210 needs to be a training. There needs to be a training 00:26:12.210 --> 00:26:15.730 and a discipleship that should keep going. Worry 00:26:15.730 --> 00:26:19.710 yourself and the people that are with you. So 00:26:19.710 --> 00:26:27.619 a person that has a... He made the disciples, 00:26:27.839 --> 00:26:30.839 people that were with him, so that they would 00:26:30.839 --> 00:26:36.000 be like him. We saw that in Acts chapter 11, 00:26:36.200 --> 00:26:39.140 verse 26, where they were first called Christian. 00:26:39.500 --> 00:26:41.920 And the observation is that these people were 00:26:41.920 --> 00:26:45.039 behaving like the Christ. Praise the Lord. So 00:26:45.039 --> 00:26:48.000 he made people like him so that they are able 00:26:48.000 --> 00:26:50.059 to spread the word. They have the same mannerism 00:26:50.059 --> 00:26:52.960 of how they understood. Like I said, when the 00:26:52.960 --> 00:26:56.609 first part of his preaching. that the disciples 00:26:56.609 --> 00:27:02.210 understood the way Jesus explained the scriptures. 00:27:02.849 --> 00:27:06.390 So they explained it the same way that he explained 00:27:06.390 --> 00:27:09.230 it. Praise the Lord. So people are able to see 00:27:09.230 --> 00:27:12.450 similarities that, oh, these people must be Christians. 00:27:12.609 --> 00:27:16.049 They are like Jesus, or they are like Christ, 00:27:16.230 --> 00:27:21.089 or they are little Christ of Exodus chapter 18, 00:27:21.769 --> 00:27:28.089 verse 19. He said, Listen to my voice and I will 00:27:28.089 --> 00:27:30.250 give you counsel and God will be with you. Stand 00:27:30.250 --> 00:27:36.730 before God for the people so that you may bring 00:27:36.730 --> 00:27:40.890 the difficulties to God. So he said, let me teach 00:27:40.890 --> 00:27:44.309 you. We see that Jethro, a man who is coming 00:27:44.309 --> 00:27:47.529 from a foreign place, is coming to give Moses 00:27:47.529 --> 00:27:50.910 an instruction. And this instruction is divine. 00:27:51.710 --> 00:27:57.140 Praise the Lord. So we see a man who, Moses was 00:27:57.140 --> 00:27:59.059 the man who was before God. He was the same God 00:27:59.059 --> 00:28:01.319 he used to face. But we see a man who comes from 00:28:01.319 --> 00:28:03.380 a different land. He was not even part of their 00:28:03.380 --> 00:28:05.819 group. But he came from a saint place and he's 00:28:05.819 --> 00:28:08.400 giving them a counsel. And this counsel is the 00:28:08.400 --> 00:28:11.480 will of God consigning Moses and consigning the 00:28:11.480 --> 00:28:14.259 children of Israel. It's the same will that we 00:28:14.259 --> 00:28:21.500 see also in Matthew chapter 18, 28. So we see 00:28:21.500 --> 00:28:23.819 a man who comes and he's giving Moses instruction. 00:28:24.319 --> 00:28:27.819 And this instruction came from a man who came 00:28:27.819 --> 00:28:30.220 from a far country, right? So we see the wisdom 00:28:30.220 --> 00:28:34.180 of God manifesting itself in this man. And Moses 00:28:34.180 --> 00:28:38.160 heeded his voice, right? And this counsel has 00:28:38.160 --> 00:28:41.220 been something that has come from one, has continued 00:28:41.220 --> 00:28:44.420 for generations and generations. Praise the Lord. 00:28:45.720 --> 00:28:49.490 In that same verse, in verse 20, he said, And 00:28:49.490 --> 00:28:51.950 you shall teach them the statutes of the Lord 00:28:51.950 --> 00:28:56.789 and show them the way in which they must walk 00:28:56.789 --> 00:28:59.369 and the work they must do. Praise the Lord. He 00:28:59.369 --> 00:29:01.529 says, and you shall teach them. So this word 00:29:01.529 --> 00:29:05.150 teach here is slightly different from the usual, 00:29:05.150 --> 00:29:13.849 we know, the usual word for teach, right? In 00:29:13.849 --> 00:29:17.480 the Hebrew word for teach, right? So this word 00:29:17.480 --> 00:29:21.700 for teach is the word zaha, right? It's the word 00:29:21.700 --> 00:29:26.140 zaha. It's not just the usual one we know, maybe, 00:29:26.140 --> 00:29:28.519 okay, it might imply teach, it might imply instruction, 00:29:28.839 --> 00:29:34.220 right? But this one, the word zaha, it means 00:29:34.220 --> 00:29:41.779 to be liked. It means to be liked. And it has 00:29:41.779 --> 00:29:44.259 many things to eat as well. It means also to 00:29:44.259 --> 00:29:49.779 be, to educate, right? It means to warn. It also 00:29:49.779 --> 00:29:55.380 means to show examples, to show example, right? 00:29:55.500 --> 00:30:00.519 To show the way to do it. Praise the Lord. So 00:30:00.519 --> 00:30:03.799 it's not just, it's to be light, to educate, 00:30:04.059 --> 00:30:09.000 to warn, to show the way to do it. So the person 00:30:09.000 --> 00:30:11.339 who is making disciples is showing the disciples 00:30:11.339 --> 00:30:16.730 how to do it. Praise the Lord. So it's a, What 00:30:16.730 --> 00:30:22.250 do you say? It's not theory. Praise the Lord. 00:30:22.750 --> 00:30:25.630 There's practicality to it. Praise the Lord. 00:30:25.690 --> 00:30:28.849 So the disciples learn practically what it means 00:30:28.849 --> 00:30:31.150 to preach the gospel, what it means to explain 00:30:31.150 --> 00:30:33.430 the gospel, because they are seeing it practically. 00:30:33.750 --> 00:30:36.150 Praise the Lord. What it means to heal the sick, 00:30:36.210 --> 00:30:39.369 what it means to manifest the gift of the Spirit, 00:30:39.670 --> 00:30:43.869 what it means to prophesy, what it means to... 00:30:43.869 --> 00:30:49.339 So the disciple is able... to see it. So that 00:30:49.339 --> 00:30:52.460 is the word here we see for teach, right? So 00:30:52.460 --> 00:30:56.319 it's to educate, to warn, to show a way to do 00:30:56.319 --> 00:30:59.359 it. That is to be an example, to be liked. Praise 00:30:59.359 --> 00:31:01.440 the Lord. It's the same word that we see in 2 00:31:01.440 --> 00:31:08.420 Kings 6, verse 10. There it is used as warning, 00:31:08.519 --> 00:31:14.880 right? We also see it in 2 Chronicles 19, verse 00:31:14.880 --> 00:31:18.589 10. It's also used as warning there. So it's 00:31:18.589 --> 00:31:22.230 the words Zahar, to teach, to show by example. 00:31:23.170 --> 00:31:25.970 So in raising leaders, you don't just teach them, 00:31:26.049 --> 00:31:29.869 but you show them, right, how to teach and also 00:31:29.869 --> 00:31:33.609 how to be a leader. Praise the Lord. So in making 00:31:33.609 --> 00:31:37.549 disciples, you're not just teaching them. You're 00:31:37.549 --> 00:31:39.509 not just teaching them this, teaching them the 00:31:39.509 --> 00:31:42.009 word, teaching them doctrine, but you're also 00:31:42.009 --> 00:31:45.069 showing them how to teach. so how do you teach 00:31:45.069 --> 00:31:48.150 the word of god right how do you explain these 00:31:48.150 --> 00:31:50.970 scriptures you're showing them how to be leaders 00:31:50.970 --> 00:31:55.009 praise the lord you're showing them how to lead 00:31:55.009 --> 00:31:58.789 other people how to be leaders of church or how 00:31:58.789 --> 00:32:01.890 to be a pastor right or how to be a minister 00:32:01.890 --> 00:32:06.309 or how to be a leader of a group so practically 00:32:06.309 --> 00:32:10.349 they learn some of these things okay so that's 00:32:10.349 --> 00:32:13.079 what he says in verse 20. Instead, you teach 00:32:13.079 --> 00:32:15.200 them the statutes and the law of God and show 00:32:15.200 --> 00:32:20.299 them the ways in which they must walk in. So 00:32:20.299 --> 00:32:22.059 you're showing them practically, okay, this is 00:32:22.059 --> 00:32:24.460 what you should do. This is what you should do. 00:32:24.859 --> 00:32:29.380 So the disciple knows, right? So in making disciples, 00:32:29.819 --> 00:32:33.559 you let them know the do's and the don'ts. Praise 00:32:33.559 --> 00:32:36.740 the Lord. When you see this, this should be, 00:32:36.839 --> 00:32:39.549 what do you say, a red flag for you. when you 00:32:39.549 --> 00:32:42.130 see this you know that so practically you are 00:32:42.130 --> 00:32:45.990 able to show them what to do praise the lord 00:32:45.990 --> 00:32:49.490 so that you don't you don't have people that 00:32:49.490 --> 00:32:51.730 are around you and you have said many things 00:32:51.730 --> 00:32:54.130 and then you find out that they have started 00:32:54.130 --> 00:32:56.150 making a lot of mistakes because nobody has told 00:32:56.150 --> 00:32:59.509 them what you should do praise the lord or maybe 00:32:59.509 --> 00:33:01.670 you assume that maybe somebody has told them 00:33:01.670 --> 00:33:03.950 before or where they are coming from they have 00:33:03.950 --> 00:33:07.630 received these instructions before So you practically 00:33:07.630 --> 00:33:12.769 show them what to do. You show them the things 00:33:12.769 --> 00:33:18.210 they should do. So that means that your teaching 00:33:18.210 --> 00:33:22.630 ministry should not just be informative, right? 00:33:22.849 --> 00:33:27.349 But it should also be transformative. So it means 00:33:27.349 --> 00:33:30.369 that the people's lives are also changing. You're 00:33:30.369 --> 00:33:32.890 not just giving information, right? It's not 00:33:32.890 --> 00:33:35.410 just informative, but it's transforming as well. 00:33:38.000 --> 00:33:40.740 In verse 20 again, that you show them the way 00:33:40.740 --> 00:33:44.140 they must walk. Right? Show them the ministry 00:33:44.140 --> 00:33:50.220 things. What does it mean to pray? Right? Why 00:33:50.220 --> 00:33:53.539 do we pray for a long time? Why do we pray like 00:33:53.539 --> 00:33:57.380 this? What does it mean to fast? What is fasting? 00:33:57.440 --> 00:34:00.599 What does it mean to manifest the things of the 00:34:00.599 --> 00:34:07.009 Spirit? Right? What does prophecy mean? So it's 00:34:07.009 --> 00:34:10.110 to show them, we see them. Instead of teach them 00:34:10.110 --> 00:34:12.969 and show them the way they must walk. And the 00:34:12.969 --> 00:34:15.389 walk they must do. So there is an instruction 00:34:15.389 --> 00:34:17.610 in their own walk. Okay, this is what you should 00:34:17.610 --> 00:34:22.110 do. Do this walk or do that. So in making disciples, 00:34:22.429 --> 00:34:24.550 there is a place of instruction. This is the 00:34:24.550 --> 00:34:27.750 way it should be, right? But this is the things 00:34:27.750 --> 00:34:32.829 you must also do. Praise the Lord. Verse 21, 00:34:32.829 --> 00:34:37.539 that's it, of Exodus chapter 18. Moreover, you 00:34:37.539 --> 00:34:43.360 should select from all the people, able men, 00:34:43.480 --> 00:34:49.059 such as fear God, men of truth, hating, covetousness, 00:34:49.280 --> 00:34:52.679 place such over. They should do the things that 00:34:52.679 --> 00:34:56.659 they should do. And now they are able to then 00:34:56.659 --> 00:35:00.440 lead, able to go and make disciples. It's the 00:35:00.440 --> 00:35:02.940 same thing that we see here. So after these people, 00:35:03.159 --> 00:35:06.239 after generally, so he's saying to them that 00:35:06.239 --> 00:35:09.760 when you come, he's saying to Moses, the instruction 00:35:09.760 --> 00:35:12.860 to Moses is that he should teach the people, 00:35:13.000 --> 00:35:16.780 right? He should teach the people. And then as 00:35:16.780 --> 00:35:18.840 he's teaching, in the process of teaching the 00:35:18.840 --> 00:35:22.360 people, then you select men. Praise the Lord. 00:35:22.480 --> 00:35:24.840 So there's a place of training, there's a place 00:35:24.840 --> 00:35:28.059 of teaching, then there's selection to responsibility. 00:35:29.340 --> 00:35:31.599 Praise the Lord. And it's not the other way around. 00:35:31.920 --> 00:35:35.860 So a good example is that you have planted a 00:35:35.860 --> 00:35:39.420 church or you have a church or you have a building 00:35:39.420 --> 00:35:42.300 that you want to be holding your church service. 00:35:42.760 --> 00:35:45.960 And then you're looking for people that should 00:35:45.960 --> 00:35:49.320 be leaders in your church or to be handling one 00:35:49.320 --> 00:35:52.000 responsibility or the other. It's not to go and 00:35:52.000 --> 00:35:54.300 give them the responsibility. It's to first teach 00:35:54.300 --> 00:35:59.699 them. It's to first instruct them. It's to first 00:35:59.699 --> 00:36:02.460 teach them. It's to first instruct them. It's 00:36:02.460 --> 00:36:05.960 first to train them, right? Train them. And in 00:36:05.960 --> 00:36:08.820 the process of training, you are then able to 00:36:08.820 --> 00:36:15.360 now select men. And select men that... The selection 00:36:15.360 --> 00:36:20.880 of men, he says, in verse 21, he says, he said, 00:36:21.019 --> 00:36:27.340 such as fear God, like men of truth, hating covetousness. 00:36:28.269 --> 00:36:31.289 So these people that he's selecting is people 00:36:31.289 --> 00:36:35.530 that have gotten a hold of what he's doing. Praise 00:36:35.530 --> 00:36:40.130 the Lord. So the selection is people that have 00:36:40.130 --> 00:36:44.289 gotten a hold of what is happening. They have 00:36:44.289 --> 00:36:49.449 gotten a hold of the training. Praise the Lord. 00:36:49.690 --> 00:36:54.530 But the first thing, like I said, is teaching. 00:36:58.190 --> 00:37:01.550 So you do not start a church looking for pastors. 00:37:03.010 --> 00:37:06.489 You don't start a church looking for pastors. 00:37:06.769 --> 00:37:12.349 You raise men to start churches. Praise the Lord. 00:37:12.650 --> 00:37:16.489 You do not start a church looking for pastors, 00:37:16.789 --> 00:37:23.269 right? You raise men to start churches. Praise 00:37:23.269 --> 00:37:26.360 the Lord. Your goal of... Preaching and teaching 00:37:26.360 --> 00:37:28.380 is not that they will remain with you forever. 00:37:29.820 --> 00:37:31.880 That they will stay, they will finish, they will 00:37:31.880 --> 00:37:35.239 continue. No. It's that the world has to spread. 00:37:36.019 --> 00:37:41.099 The kingdom has to spread. So you don't start 00:37:41.099 --> 00:37:44.940 a church and looking for pastors, but you raise 00:37:44.940 --> 00:37:48.400 men. You disciple men so that they are able to 00:37:48.400 --> 00:37:52.099 start churches. Praise the Lord. You disciple 00:37:52.099 --> 00:37:54.139 men so that they are able to start churches. 00:37:54.710 --> 00:37:58.070 So who are the people that you are training in 00:37:58.070 --> 00:38:02.150 your church? Who are the people that you're training 00:38:02.150 --> 00:38:06.250 in your church? So when training is not happening, 00:38:06.409 --> 00:38:09.750 different people get invited to come and teach 00:38:09.750 --> 00:38:14.590 the church many things. So when there's no training, 00:38:14.949 --> 00:38:24.690 we need a pastor to come. to get invited either 00:38:24.690 --> 00:38:28.469 from US, from Nigeria. That would be the need 00:38:28.469 --> 00:38:32.369 of the church. Or we'll get a music minister 00:38:32.369 --> 00:38:35.909 to come in, to fly into the island and sing. 00:38:36.110 --> 00:38:38.809 And then maybe we'll get somebody to talk about 00:38:38.809 --> 00:38:41.690 finances and so many things like that. Praise 00:38:41.690 --> 00:38:45.530 the Lord. Because training is not done. Because 00:38:45.530 --> 00:38:48.389 when training is done, people will come to that 00:38:48.389 --> 00:38:52.219 place of responsibility. Praise the Lord. When 00:38:52.219 --> 00:38:55.019 training is done, people will come to the place 00:38:55.019 --> 00:38:58.579 of responsibility. So invitations becomes the 00:38:58.579 --> 00:39:01.400 order of the day because training is not there. 00:39:01.739 --> 00:39:04.179 Because the man of God cannot trust his people 00:39:04.179 --> 00:39:07.219 to be able to do those things that he has invited 00:39:07.219 --> 00:39:10.460 people because there's a lack of training. They 00:39:10.460 --> 00:39:13.719 have not grown. They have not become all that 00:39:13.719 --> 00:39:17.739 or come to a place of maturity. Praise the Lord. 00:39:19.469 --> 00:39:25.789 So Jethro told him to train men, right? He should 00:39:25.789 --> 00:39:28.230 train men and then select them for leadership. 00:39:29.630 --> 00:39:32.230 So in the process of training, in the process 00:39:32.230 --> 00:39:35.530 of training, leadership selection is being done, 00:39:35.650 --> 00:39:41.690 not the other way around. So when leaders are 00:39:41.690 --> 00:39:45.269 not trained, the church cannot grow. When is 00:39:45.269 --> 00:39:47.489 there a place of training? When is there a place 00:39:47.489 --> 00:39:52.340 of discipleship? The church cannot grow. When 00:39:52.340 --> 00:39:55.460 there is no place of training, the church cannot 00:39:55.460 --> 00:40:02.739 grow. You train them, teach them, and in doing 00:40:02.739 --> 00:40:05.639 that, you will now look around. Who are the men 00:40:05.639 --> 00:40:08.000 that are fearing God? Who are the men that are 00:40:08.000 --> 00:40:10.119 of truth? Who are the men that have understood 00:40:10.119 --> 00:40:12.860 this training they were doing? Who are the men 00:40:12.860 --> 00:40:15.559 that are without covetousness? Which are the 00:40:15.559 --> 00:40:18.539 men that are qualified? feed for these goals 00:40:18.539 --> 00:40:20.519 and responsibilities, not the other way around. 00:40:21.639 --> 00:40:24.480 Not first, who feeds this thing? Maybe we say, 00:40:24.500 --> 00:40:29.280 okay, we're looking for ushering leader. So let's 00:40:29.280 --> 00:40:31.739 look for somebody with a serious face, a tall, 00:40:31.920 --> 00:40:35.420 maybe brother or sister, you know, that is a 00:40:35.420 --> 00:40:39.440 bit skinny, likes to wear corporates, right? 00:40:39.820 --> 00:40:42.900 And then we'll select you based on that. Afterwards, 00:40:43.219 --> 00:40:46.719 we'll ask, okay, come and start training. Praise 00:40:46.719 --> 00:40:49.719 the Lord. So your evaluation of people being 00:40:49.719 --> 00:40:55.699 brought into leadership is not by looks or is 00:40:55.699 --> 00:40:59.300 not by physical qualities, but rather training 00:40:59.300 --> 00:41:06.119 first comes and then selection is done. How was 00:41:06.119 --> 00:41:12.599 then Joshua chosen? We also see Joshua here. 00:41:13.039 --> 00:41:16.219 How was he chosen? What made Moses choose Joshua? 00:41:18.800 --> 00:41:22.880 God made Moses choose Joshua. Exodus chapter 00:41:22.880 --> 00:41:31.340 17. Exodus chapter 17, verse 9. Verse 9 says, 00:41:31.679 --> 00:41:37.000 Moses said to Joshua, choose us some men and 00:41:37.000 --> 00:41:40.360 go out and fight the Amalek. Tomorrow I will 00:41:40.360 --> 00:41:43.659 stand on top of the hill with the rod of God 00:41:43.659 --> 00:41:49.219 in my hand. Praise the Lord. Exodus chapter 24 00:41:49.219 --> 00:41:56.300 verse 13. Exodus chapter 24 verse 19. 19 says, 00:41:56.639 --> 00:42:03.860 So Moses, Exodus chapter 24 verse 13. So Moses 00:42:03.860 --> 00:42:07.699 rose with all, with his assistant Joshua, and 00:42:07.699 --> 00:42:11.219 Moses went up to the mountain of God. Praise 00:42:11.219 --> 00:42:16.199 the Lord. So we see here that Joshua, He was 00:42:16.199 --> 00:42:20.199 always with Moses. He was always with Moses all 00:42:20.199 --> 00:42:22.019 the time. He was there serving Moses. He was 00:42:22.019 --> 00:42:26.500 a servant of Moses. He puts it as a sister. He 00:42:26.500 --> 00:42:28.719 was a servant of Moses. So he was serving Moses. 00:42:29.340 --> 00:42:33.579 Praise the Lord. He was always with Moses. And 00:42:33.579 --> 00:42:38.420 then when Moses was about to die, then Joshua 00:42:38.420 --> 00:42:41.860 was selected. So there's no training that is 00:42:41.860 --> 00:42:48.489 done in absentia. In this kingdom, if you want 00:42:48.489 --> 00:42:50.949 to grow, there's no training that is done in 00:42:50.949 --> 00:42:53.929 Ascension. You're somewhere. You're attending 00:42:53.929 --> 00:42:59.070 it online. What you did is that you were watching 00:42:59.070 --> 00:43:05.050 it. You were watching the program. You did not 00:43:05.050 --> 00:43:06.530 receive any training. You were just watching 00:43:06.530 --> 00:43:09.969 it. Praise the Lord. So there's no training that 00:43:09.969 --> 00:43:14.489 is done in Ascension. Joshua moved with Moses 00:43:14.489 --> 00:43:23.579 everywhere he was going. Exodus chapter 33. It 00:43:23.579 --> 00:43:25.539 was with Moses everywhere he was going. Exodus 00:43:25.539 --> 00:43:31.619 chapter 33, verse 11. So the Lord spoke to Moses 00:43:31.619 --> 00:43:34.840 face to face as he speaks, as a man speaks to 00:43:34.840 --> 00:43:38.199 his friend, and he returned to the camp, but 00:43:38.199 --> 00:43:41.400 his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, 00:43:41.539 --> 00:43:44.739 did not depart from the tabernacle. Praise the 00:43:44.739 --> 00:43:53.139 Lord. And then, Acts chapter 1. Acts chapter 00:43:53.139 --> 00:44:02.079 1. Acts chapter 1 verse 21. Acts chapter 1 verse 00:44:02.079 --> 00:44:13.500 21. Let's start with 20. Speaking of Judas Iscariot. 00:44:14.559 --> 00:44:17.349 So for it is written on the book of Psalm. Let 00:44:17.349 --> 00:44:20.250 his dwelling place be desolate and let no one 00:44:20.250 --> 00:44:24.989 live in it. Let another take his office. Therefore, 00:44:25.150 --> 00:44:28.389 of the men who have accompanied us all the time, 00:44:28.449 --> 00:44:31.710 that the Lord Jesus Christ went in and out among 00:44:31.710 --> 00:44:35.550 us, beginning from the baptism of John to that 00:44:35.550 --> 00:44:40.429 day when he was taken off from us. One of these 00:44:40.429 --> 00:44:45.230 must become a witness with us of his resurrection. 00:44:46.190 --> 00:44:50.309 And they proposed two, Joseph called Barnabas, 00:44:50.389 --> 00:45:02.449 who was so named Justice, and Matthias. And they 00:45:02.449 --> 00:45:06.570 prayed and said, You, O Lord, who have known 00:45:06.570 --> 00:45:11.210 the heart of all, show which of these two have 00:45:11.210 --> 00:45:13.610 you chosen to take part in the ministry and the 00:45:13.610 --> 00:45:16.809 apostleship. from which Judas by transgression 00:45:16.809 --> 00:45:22.650 fell, that he might go to his place. And they 00:45:22.650 --> 00:45:25.989 cast lots, and the lot fell on Matthias, and 00:45:25.989 --> 00:45:30.250 he was numbered with eleven apostles. Praise 00:45:30.250 --> 00:45:33.289 the Lord. So we also saw here, we also saw in 00:45:33.289 --> 00:45:37.750 Exodus, that Joshua and both Matthias and these 00:45:37.750 --> 00:45:41.650 people have been with them. They have been in 00:45:41.650 --> 00:45:44.389 the training, they have been in that place. Praise 00:45:44.389 --> 00:45:46.780 the Lord. They have received what they have received 00:45:46.780 --> 00:45:50.559 with them. So they have been together. He was 00:45:50.559 --> 00:45:54.760 with him all the time. He did not know that he 00:45:54.760 --> 00:45:58.340 would succeed Moses. So his moving around with 00:45:58.340 --> 00:46:01.800 Moses was not a succession plan. That was not 00:46:01.800 --> 00:46:06.300 it. He did not know any of those things. All 00:46:06.300 --> 00:46:08.880 he was doing, he was serving the Lord from his 00:46:08.880 --> 00:46:12.199 heart. All Matthias was doing was also serving 00:46:12.199 --> 00:46:14.550 the Lord from his heart. They were not doing 00:46:14.550 --> 00:46:19.670 it because they were going to succeed anyone, 00:46:19.929 --> 00:46:23.349 but because they were serving the Lord. And that's 00:46:23.349 --> 00:46:32.150 how they succeeded both Judas and Moses. So what 00:46:32.150 --> 00:46:36.389 is your plan to teach the world? What is your 00:46:36.389 --> 00:46:39.789 plan to teach the world? What is your plan to 00:46:39.789 --> 00:46:44.469 make disciples? What is your plan to teach the 00:46:44.469 --> 00:46:50.269 world? Do you plan to teach the world or consign 00:46:50.269 --> 00:46:52.769 yourself with other matters happening around 00:46:52.769 --> 00:46:56.030 the body of Christ? Or other things that are 00:46:56.030 --> 00:47:04.030 happening around? 1 Peter 4, verse 14. He said, 00:47:04.170 --> 00:47:07.730 Give your reproach for the name of Christ. Blessed 00:47:07.730 --> 00:47:11.489 are you, for the spirit of glory and of God rests 00:47:11.489 --> 00:47:15.670 on you. On their part, he's blasphemed. On your 00:47:15.670 --> 00:47:18.809 part, he's glorified. But let none of you suffer 00:47:18.809 --> 00:47:23.190 as a murderer, as a thief, as an evildoer, as 00:47:23.190 --> 00:47:28.650 a busybody in others' matters. If anyone suffers 00:47:28.650 --> 00:47:34.530 as a Christian, let him not be ashamed. But let 00:47:34.530 --> 00:47:38.789 him glorify God in this matter. Praise the Lord. 00:47:39.750 --> 00:47:42.670 So he's saying, to them that if they are suffering, 00:47:42.889 --> 00:47:45.650 let our suffering be because they are doing the 00:47:45.650 --> 00:47:48.710 work of the Lord. Not because they were talking 00:47:48.710 --> 00:47:51.750 about other things, or because they were murderers, 00:47:51.750 --> 00:47:54.130 or because they are doing evil. Praise the Lord. 00:47:54.690 --> 00:47:56.909 So we also see an interesting word here called 00:47:56.909 --> 00:47:59.550 busybody. I don't know how to call the Greek 00:47:59.550 --> 00:48:06.449 word. It's very long. But it means to belong 00:48:06.449 --> 00:48:10.369 to another matter. Or you are overseeing somebody 00:48:10.369 --> 00:48:13.670 else's work. You're doing somebody else's work. 00:48:13.789 --> 00:48:15.809 You're concerning yourself with other matters, 00:48:15.889 --> 00:48:19.309 with other people. If you are suffering because 00:48:19.309 --> 00:48:23.610 of it, that is not the will of God. That's not 00:48:23.610 --> 00:48:27.690 what should be happening to you. But you should 00:48:27.690 --> 00:48:33.650 concentrate rather on making disciples to suffer 00:48:33.650 --> 00:48:37.989 as a Christian. If you are suffering, For we 00:48:37.989 --> 00:48:40.090 are seeing other people's work. It is not the 00:48:40.090 --> 00:48:45.030 will of God. So do not concern yourself about 00:48:45.030 --> 00:48:48.469 other people's work. Do not concern yourself 00:48:48.469 --> 00:48:51.750 about other people's ministry. Do not concern 00:48:51.750 --> 00:48:55.710 yourself about other people's pastors or posts. 00:48:55.969 --> 00:48:58.849 But rather, concentrate on the work that is in 00:48:58.849 --> 00:49:02.250 front of you. Concentrate on the work of making 00:49:02.250 --> 00:49:05.610 disciples that is right in front of you, that 00:49:05.610 --> 00:49:08.949 is given to you. Let others be doing what others 00:49:08.949 --> 00:49:11.210 are doing. Praise the Lord. Whether they are 00:49:11.210 --> 00:49:13.489 teaching correctly or not teaching correctly, 00:49:13.769 --> 00:49:16.050 it is not your work to correct the body of Christ. 00:49:16.670 --> 00:49:20.889 It is your work to make disciples. Praise the 00:49:20.889 --> 00:49:26.130 Lord. It is your work to make disciples. It is 00:49:26.130 --> 00:49:29.409 your work to make disciples. If you have 20 people 00:49:29.409 --> 00:49:33.349 in your church, they cannot grow without training. 00:49:35.530 --> 00:49:38.110 Your church will remain 20 if there is no place 00:49:38.110 --> 00:49:41.949 of training. Because when that training comes, 00:49:42.170 --> 00:49:44.469 there will be more discipleship and people, the 00:49:44.469 --> 00:49:54.489 church will grow. 1 Peter 5, verse 1 to 2. So 00:49:54.489 --> 00:50:01.340 the elders who are among you are exalted. I who 00:50:01.340 --> 00:50:03.760 am a fellow elder and a witness of the suffering 00:50:03.760 --> 00:50:06.079 of Christ and a partaker of the glory, I will 00:50:06.079 --> 00:50:08.500 be revealed. He says, shepherd the flock which 00:50:08.500 --> 00:50:12.460 is among you, serving as overseer, not by compulsion, 00:50:12.559 --> 00:50:18.940 but willingly. Not for dishonest gain, but eagerly. 00:50:18.960 --> 00:50:23.360 Not as being Lord over those who are entrusted 00:50:23.360 --> 00:50:27.360 to you, but be an example to the flock. Praise 00:50:27.360 --> 00:50:31.639 the Lord. So he's saying to mind your business, 00:50:31.739 --> 00:50:35.480 the things that are in front of you, right? To 00:50:35.480 --> 00:50:38.699 be, to disciple, to shepherd the flock among 00:50:38.699 --> 00:50:41.780 you. Do not concern yourself about what is going 00:50:41.780 --> 00:50:46.940 on somewhere else, but to disciple men, to continue 00:50:46.940 --> 00:50:50.699 to preach the word, to mind your work. So your 00:50:50.699 --> 00:50:54.500 job is to focus on the flock, right? And those 00:50:54.500 --> 00:50:59.679 who you are raising. Your job is to focus on 00:50:59.679 --> 00:51:04.000 the flock and those you're raising. If you stop 00:51:04.000 --> 00:51:06.380 looking at other matters or other people and 00:51:06.380 --> 00:51:08.260 begin to look into your flock, you discover that 00:51:08.260 --> 00:51:10.500 there's only a lot that is happening. Praise 00:51:10.500 --> 00:51:13.639 the Lord. If you begin to look internally, you 00:51:13.639 --> 00:51:16.460 find out that many things are happening around 00:51:16.460 --> 00:51:21.000 you that needs more of your attention. Praise 00:51:21.000 --> 00:51:23.260 the Lord. There are many, many things that are 00:51:23.260 --> 00:51:25.650 happening around you. that need more of your 00:51:25.650 --> 00:51:28.590 attention there's a lot of work to be done around 00:51:28.590 --> 00:51:32.269 you there's a work there's a lot of work of discipleship 00:51:32.269 --> 00:51:35.670 that should be done around you that you should 00:51:35.670 --> 00:51:38.789 focus your mind on it rather than focusing on 00:51:38.789 --> 00:51:43.130 what other people are doing praise the lord so 00:51:43.130 --> 00:51:48.630 the lord has called us to make disciples to make 00:51:48.630 --> 00:51:51.769 disciples and that's how the church will grow 00:51:51.769 --> 00:51:55.880 praise the lord So I pray that you will bless 00:51:55.880 --> 00:51:58.199 by this word in Jesus' name.