WEBVTT

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Hi there. Welcome to NECF. We're excited to share

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today's message with you. Don't go anywhere.

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Stay with us till the end for some valuable resources

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to enrich your faith. Here's today's sermon.

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So we're going to be continuing with our teaching,

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Ministers of God. And I just want to just remind

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us. of certain things that forms the foundation

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of who we are. And then we'll go to our passage

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this evening. And I think it's a reminder of

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what I mentioned in passing on Sunday, that Jesus

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Christ says this, that we are the light of the

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world. And that in itself is powerful if you

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just take time and think about it, that he himself

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has called us out of the darkness into his marvelous

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light and has... He instructed us to show for

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that light which he has, show for that life which

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we have received, show for that life which we

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have received from him, proclaim that to others.

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And the thing about light is that light is distinct.

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You can't confuse light with darkness. That light

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is distinct in the way it operates. Believers

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are distinct in the way we all preach. We are

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distinct in the way we all preach. The way we

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do things is different from the way things are

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done in the world. I think I brought the letters

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and the song. We are no longer defined by the

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world. We are defined in Christ. Our definition...

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is in Christ Jesus. And that in itself is what

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empowers the way we do things, is what should

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empower the way we act, the way we do. We don't

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mix ourselves. We don't find ourselves entangled

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with the things that are inconsistent with our

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identity. And we should be able to notice. And

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that is why training is important. As a believer,

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once you're trained, you know when you are not.

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When you are entangling yourself with things

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that are inconsistent with your identity because

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you know what your identity is. We are not confused

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about our identity. We are not confused about

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our identity. As believers that are trained,

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we know what our identity is. We are not confused.

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The same way you are not confused of your nationality.

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Somebody cannot come and tell you that you are

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from a nationality that you are not from. It's

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the same way our identity in Christ, we are not

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confused. We are not confused about it. And training

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is what establishes, training is what even gives

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us more confidence in our identity. So if there's

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anyone here that is struggling, because there

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can be someone struggling in this place about

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who they are in Christ. They are not sure because

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circumstances and situation has brought them

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under, has made them to think that if I'm in

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Christ, why am I going through this thing? Why

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am I going through that thing? If there's anyone

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in this place, I'm speaking to you. I'm encouraging

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you that your identity in Christ doesn't shift

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because of your circumstances and situations.

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Your identity in Christ is rock solid. What Christ

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has done is rock solid and nothing can change

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what he has done. Not even your circumstance

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and situation will change that. And Apostle Paul,

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the passage that we're looking at, he gives and

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poses a question. It first of all encourages

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believers to do something. Let's go to the 2

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Corinthians that we're looking at. 2 Corinthians

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6. 2 Corinthians 6. 2 Corinthians 6. We're reading,

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we're going to be looking at 14 to 16. 2 Corinthians

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6, 14 to 16. 2 Corinthians 6, 14 to 16. Now read

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from the New King James. It says, Do not be unequally

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yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship

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has righteousness with lawlessness? And what

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union has light with darkness? And what accord

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has Christ with Belial? And what pact has a believer

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with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the

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temple of God with idols? For you are the temple

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of the living God. As God has said, I will dwell

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in them and walk among them. I will be their

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God and they shall be my people. Establishing

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what Christ has done in us as believers. I want

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us to spend time here and dwell for a while.

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I want you to notice something in this passage.

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I want you to notice something in this passage.

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Most of the times we dwell on the first line

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of verse 14. And we say, do not be unequally

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yoked with unbelievers. And we miss the point.

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We miss the point. I want you to pay attention

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to the particular words he uses with the contrast.

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I mean, the words he used. Take, for example,

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the first in verse 14. He says, what fellowship?

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I want you to pay attention to fellowship, the

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word fellowship. He says fellowship, and then

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he contrasts two things. Righteousness. And lawlessness.

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Righteousness, lawlessness. But the word he uses

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there is fellowship. He says fellowship. And

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then he says what union? So the second word is

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union. So I want you to write it down. I want

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you to write fellowship. I want you to write

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union. I want you to write accord. Fellowship,

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union, accord. I want you to write part. I want

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you to write agreement. Fellowship, union, accord,

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part, and agreement. fellowship, union, accord,

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pact, and agreement. And then I want us to now

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double down on it and look at the things he contrasts

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because he's posing a question. He says, what

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fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness?

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That is, righteousness is what he's contrasting

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with lawlessness. And then he says, what communion

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he now poses light, darkness. And then he says,

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what accord? He now says, Christ and Belial.

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And Belial there, in some translation, in the

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NLT, you see Satan. You see devil in an NLT.

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In some other translation, in the NIV, you see

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Satan. It just contrasts. We know basically what

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the contrast is at this point. Then he says,

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what pact? As a believer, with a non -believer,

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and then the last bit, which is the fifth one,

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is what agreement? has the temple of God with

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the temple of idols. So you know that what he's

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saying is based off that first line, which is

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do not be on equal yoke together with unbelievers.

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That is the example because everything after

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that is him contrasting the characteristics or

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the things that characterizes a believer in contrast

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to a non -believer. Everything afterwards is

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a clear... caught contrast. He's just trying

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to establish like, there is a way, which is the

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point I started with. There is a way, there's

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a distinction, a clear -cut distinction between

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a believer and a non -believer. And I like the

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way NLT starts off that line. He says, don't

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team up. Don't team up with those who are unbelievers.

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It makes it clear that Your team member shouldn't

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be a non -believer. Your team member shouldn't

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be a non -believer. And there's a reason why.

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And we'll go further because remember, we said,

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we started off when he said in verse 4, he said,

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I commend you as ministers of God. So if you

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are a minister, you already, you are in a position

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where you shouldn't be entangled or you shouldn't

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be teaming up yourself with someone who doesn't

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share. the same belief system, the same ideology,

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the same understanding, the way of life, the

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way of life. And I think that's what we, when

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I went on church, and we'll go back to that passage

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again, in Ephesians 5 verse 16, we'll click down

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where it says, you have a responsibility, your

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responsibility and the way you do things is different

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from the way the world does things. The way we

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do things is different from the way the world

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does. And sometimes we find ourselves Because

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of different circumstances and situations, we

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find ourselves entangled. We find ourselves in

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close relationship with people who don't share

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the faith that we share. And what that will affect,

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what that will do, it will undermine the gospel

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that we carry. And some of us, we don't even

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make the gospel that we carry ring through in

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our operation. This is one key thing. Because

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naturally, if a person doesn't share the same

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identity as yourself, and you keep... showing

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forth that identity you keep making sure that

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the person sees who you are not pulling back

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who you not dumbing down who you are for the

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sake of the relationship don't be drawing your

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like you say and we don't usually do this but

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because we are friends this let's just let's

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just for the sake of peace for the sake of a

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You are now undermining your identity because

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of a relationship. That means that relationship

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is more important to you than your identity.

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And that is what we see. That is one thing. And

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this is basically why we're talking about this.

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That's one thing that undermines our responsibility,

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which makes us not to even be accountable because

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you know that if you are accountable about that

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relationship, that relationship will go. That

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relationship will go. And we have believers that

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know what their identity is or have gotten complacent

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and comfortable with living a life of mediocrity

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or living a life that doesn't reflect their identity

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or just being okay with that because of the relationships

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that they want to keep or they want to preserve.

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And Apostle Paul is not mixing words. He's not

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saying on some occasion you can team up or he

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didn't say for the sake of the gospel. you can't

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team up. He didn't, like he didn't give any,

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he just spells it out clearly. I'll read from

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the NLTC. Don't team up with those. And okay,

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let me even make it even more practical so that

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we understand what exactly the magnitude of this

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thing. Just imagine a football match. Imagine

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a football match. And you know, if you are even

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playing soccer, those of us that play soccer,

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and I can remember the times where we do play

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soccer well. Even when your teammates or when

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they follow your opponents, is using Chelsea.

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You are using Chelsea. And Chelsea has different

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jerseys. They have the blue one. They have the...

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I don't know the colors, but I know that Major

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League, they have their blue up and down. When

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you are trying to select, when you are trying

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to choose your own, even if you are choosing

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the same, you have to ensure that the color of

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the other, your opponents, even if you are using

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the same team, You should not share the same

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color. Because if you are wearing blue and blue,

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your opponent is wearing blue and blue, there's

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going to be great confusion when the match starts.

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Because nobody will know whose player is having

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the ball at 7 .5 because all the players on your

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team have the same name with all the players

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on the other team. So there's going to be great

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confusion. And that is what happens when people

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cannot clearly distinguish. The actions of a

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believer with the actions of a non -believer,

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they cannot clearly see the actions or the characteristics

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of it because there is no relationship. There

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is no relationship. And we are instructed not

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to team up with them because teaming up with

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them will make one. In fact, mostly it's easy

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for people to do. It's easy for you to just glide

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into unbelief. It's easy for you to glide into...

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different things and different situations because

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it's just the way the natural and because the

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influence can be more on the other side depending

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on what exactly it is. He says, don't team up.

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How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness?

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The wickedness is what is being used here. He

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says, how can light live with darkness? How can

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light live with darkness? He says, what harmony?

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Notice I think they also use live and it's what

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harmony? Can there be between Christ and the

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devil? How can a believer be a partner with a

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non -believer? And what union can there be between

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God's temple and idols? We are the temple of

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the living God. As God said, I will live in them.

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I will live in them. I will live in them and

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walk among them. I will be their God and they

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will be my people. I will be their God and they

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will be my people. That establishes the identity

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of a believer. We are his people. We are his

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people. We're going to come to that part in 1

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Peter. We are his people. He lives in us. He

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lives in us. In case you are confused as to what

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he means by, because he establishes that, he

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says the believer is the temple of the living

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God. Paul's letter, first letter to the Corinthian

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church in 3 verse 16. Paul's letter, I want us

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to go there. 1 Corinthians 3 verse 16. Paul uses

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that same word, but he establishes it further.

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He poses the question in the same format. He

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says, do you not know that you are the temple

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of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

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Do you not know that you are the temple of God

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and the Spirit of God dwells in you? He goes

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further to establish the fact that as the temple

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of God, the Spirit of God dwells in us. Which

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is going back to what he says. He says, I will

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live in them. I will live in them. That is in

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verse 16 of 2 Corinthians 6. He says, I will

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live in them. The Spirit of God dwells in us.

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The Spirit of God. dwells in us and we say that

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this is when you say temple of the living god

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we know that if you say temple of the living

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god you say some something is god's means that

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some that's something that is god's is built

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by him right if i say this is the house of god

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i know that the house of god is a house that

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god built the house of god when you say something

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is god's house is something that he built And

00:15:15.049 --> 00:15:17.429
God himself, if he dwells in that place, he dwells

00:15:17.429 --> 00:15:19.370
in something that he has made. And we'll see

00:15:19.370 --> 00:15:23.309
that shortly. I will further establish that shortly.

00:15:23.690 --> 00:15:27.470
Note that in this particular passage, he clearly

00:15:27.470 --> 00:15:31.730
establishes at different levels. Fellowship,

00:15:31.730 --> 00:15:34.970
righteousness, wickedness or lawlessness, union.

00:15:35.549 --> 00:15:38.110
with light, darkness, and all of them, you notice

00:15:38.110 --> 00:15:41.029
that even NLT uses, slightly different, it uses

00:15:41.029 --> 00:15:43.090
union in some places because all of them are

00:15:43.090 --> 00:15:46.549
still saying the same thing. That these two things

00:15:46.549 --> 00:15:50.090
don't have where they meet. Praise God. These

00:15:50.090 --> 00:15:52.070
two things don't have where they meet. These

00:15:52.070 --> 00:15:54.929
two identities don't have where there is a middle

00:15:54.929 --> 00:15:59.389
ground. So there is no middle ground. A believer

00:15:59.389 --> 00:16:03.250
has a clear operation. Remember what I said at

00:16:03.250 --> 00:16:06.120
the beginning. How we do things, how we think

00:16:06.120 --> 00:16:09.320
is different from how they do things, how they

00:16:09.320 --> 00:16:12.860
think. If you're going to make any progress in

00:16:12.860 --> 00:16:16.980
your work, you have to put aside, we have to

00:16:16.980 --> 00:16:20.539
work as you are called to work. And this is not

00:16:20.539 --> 00:16:23.600
just because when we say this, we might be thinking,

00:16:23.639 --> 00:16:29.460
okay, it is just with unbelievers, right? Say,

00:16:29.480 --> 00:16:32.240
don't team up with unbelievers. It will surprise

00:16:32.240 --> 00:16:36.379
you that even in... Let's go to Corinthians,

00:16:36.720 --> 00:16:39.159
right? Let's go to 2 Corinthians. Read that passage

00:16:39.159 --> 00:16:43.759
a lot. I think we mostly go to that passage.

00:16:43.799 --> 00:16:47.139
2 Corinthians 3. I will read it. 2 Corinthians

00:16:47.139 --> 00:16:59.179
3. 2 Corinthians 3 verse 6. 2 Corinthians 3 verse

00:16:59.179 --> 00:17:02.519
6. Because even unbelievers do. Even unbelievers

00:17:02.519 --> 00:17:07.490
do. Let me start. 2 Corinthians 3, verse 6. It

00:17:07.490 --> 00:17:10.990
says, but we command you. This is the Apostle

00:17:10.990 --> 00:17:12.930
Paul speaking. He says, but we command you, brethren,

00:17:13.130 --> 00:17:16.289
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you

00:17:16.289 --> 00:17:20.970
withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly

00:17:20.970 --> 00:17:24.430
and not according to the tradition which you

00:17:24.430 --> 00:17:26.269
have received. Let me read it from the NLT. It

00:17:26.269 --> 00:17:29.680
says, and my dear brother, now and now. Dear

00:17:29.680 --> 00:17:32.339
brothers and sisters, we give you this command

00:17:32.339 --> 00:17:35.880
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Speak away

00:17:35.880 --> 00:17:40.500
from all believers who live idle. That's what

00:17:40.500 --> 00:17:42.500
I was going to establish. He says, who live,

00:17:42.559 --> 00:17:44.839
he says, he says, he says, he says disorder.

00:17:45.680 --> 00:17:49.599
He says, who, that who walks disorderly. He says,

00:17:49.640 --> 00:17:53.559
who live idle lives and don't follow this religion

00:17:53.559 --> 00:17:56.750
that they have received from us. This is very

00:17:56.750 --> 00:17:59.150
key that you know that it's not just even the

00:17:59.150 --> 00:18:01.990
people that are unbelievers. There are people

00:18:01.990 --> 00:18:03.849
that claim that they say they are believers but

00:18:03.849 --> 00:18:05.930
they don't walk in accordance with their identity.

00:18:06.589 --> 00:18:09.849
They will establish why if you don't walk well.

00:18:09.869 --> 00:18:12.789
But the instruction is clear. Right? The instruction

00:18:12.789 --> 00:18:17.049
is clear. Note that you shouldn't be enclosed

00:18:17.049 --> 00:18:19.670
because there is an effect. When you come and

00:18:19.670 --> 00:18:22.640
say... Close relationship or close association

00:18:22.640 --> 00:18:24.859
with people that don't share the same beliefs

00:18:24.859 --> 00:18:27.880
with you affects the results that you have, affects

00:18:27.880 --> 00:18:30.539
the progress that you make. You are living with

00:18:30.539 --> 00:18:33.000
people that, and I think a couple of people have

00:18:33.000 --> 00:18:34.400
shared, I think even during the course of this,

00:18:34.480 --> 00:18:37.240
they said, oh, when I saw I was struggling, I

00:18:37.240 --> 00:18:39.920
connected with people that read, that read these

00:18:39.920 --> 00:18:42.200
hours, that read that hours, and note that their

00:18:42.200 --> 00:18:46.140
results change. Even in the things like in your

00:18:46.140 --> 00:18:48.359
academics, in your studies, if you owe your house,

00:18:48.400 --> 00:18:51.339
your... friends are getting FF, FF, FF. You shouldn't

00:18:51.339 --> 00:18:54.180
be shocked. You shouldn't be surprised. You shouldn't

00:18:54.180 --> 00:18:55.859
be surprised that you too are part of it because

00:18:55.859 --> 00:18:58.640
even if you're doing well, at some point in time,

00:18:58.680 --> 00:19:00.799
you'll just find out that you don't understand

00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:03.039
the, you know, you know, I was telling some people,

00:19:03.079 --> 00:19:06.240
I say, I say, if you are, you are used to splashing

00:19:06.240 --> 00:19:08.640
money, you spend, it's like when you get money,

00:19:08.700 --> 00:19:11.559
you spend it to zero and then somebody comes

00:19:11.559 --> 00:19:14.079
around you, you will influence the person. Some

00:19:14.079 --> 00:19:16.920
people, they don't rest until the account is

00:19:16.920 --> 00:19:19.440
back to zero. Like that they cannot, they don't

00:19:19.440 --> 00:19:21.779
know peace. On the account, they must ensure

00:19:21.779 --> 00:19:24.779
that anything that comes in goes out. It's a

00:19:24.779 --> 00:19:27.819
flow. It's cash flow. It will flow and flow,

00:19:27.880 --> 00:19:30.279
it flow and flow out because there is a system

00:19:30.279 --> 00:19:31.819
that they have created. And when you are hung

00:19:31.819 --> 00:19:33.480
around those people, you will be under pressure.

00:19:33.559 --> 00:19:36.079
You don't know that this person has a bad habit.

00:19:36.299 --> 00:19:37.920
You'll be thinking that that is how life is,

00:19:37.980 --> 00:19:40.980
that you're not the one that is keeping up with

00:19:40.980 --> 00:19:42.900
it. And people can make you feel bad. I think

00:19:42.900 --> 00:19:45.059
I was sharing. Where am I? Very recently, because

00:19:45.059 --> 00:19:47.519
I was, I connected, I reconnected with a friend.

00:19:47.579 --> 00:19:49.900
I had not reconnected. We caught up. Even though

00:19:49.900 --> 00:19:51.940
we had connected previously, I think during this

00:19:51.940 --> 00:19:54.319
past month, I caught up with a friend and I was

00:19:54.319 --> 00:19:56.519
asking him about a friend of ours that were in

00:19:56.519 --> 00:19:59.420
the university together. I was reminded very

00:19:59.420 --> 00:20:01.920
clearly that that time in university, when we

00:20:01.920 --> 00:20:03.940
came and then we were like, oh, this brother

00:20:03.940 --> 00:20:06.980
will go out and he will sign, because in our

00:20:06.980 --> 00:20:08.859
university, you have to sign to leave the university.

00:20:09.019 --> 00:20:11.779
He will sign out. He will go and party, have

00:20:11.779 --> 00:20:15.519
fun, sleep around. come back and be talking about

00:20:15.519 --> 00:20:18.319
it like with such... You know, when somebody

00:20:18.319 --> 00:20:21.420
is making ungodliness, like you are the one that

00:20:21.420 --> 00:20:25.140
is... You are the one that is sick. You are the

00:20:25.140 --> 00:20:27.099
one that needs to be delivered from the bondage

00:20:27.099 --> 00:20:29.400
that you are in. I am the one enjoying the good

00:20:29.400 --> 00:20:31.759
life. And if you don't understand your identity,

00:20:31.799 --> 00:20:38.359
somebody that understands or misuses their freedom

00:20:38.359 --> 00:20:40.680
will make you look like you're the one that is

00:20:40.680 --> 00:20:44.190
in bondage. And we as believers want to understand

00:20:44.190 --> 00:20:47.029
our identity and know that we have a responsibility

00:20:47.029 --> 00:20:49.470
and work in that responsibility regardless of

00:20:49.470 --> 00:20:53.490
the pressure. And sometimes it's peer pressure.

00:20:53.609 --> 00:20:55.849
You have people make you look like you don't

00:20:55.849 --> 00:20:57.410
know what you're doing. You're wasting your time.

00:20:57.710 --> 00:21:02.069
And these people, they will explain to you how

00:21:02.069 --> 00:21:05.450
if you don't, like they want to bring you into

00:21:05.450 --> 00:21:08.490
their own reality. But you have a reality that

00:21:08.490 --> 00:21:10.769
is more real than their own reality. And you

00:21:10.769 --> 00:21:12.930
want to be able to stand up and say, this is

00:21:12.930 --> 00:21:14.589
what I believe in. This is what is consistent

00:21:14.589 --> 00:21:16.609
with my identity. Whatever it is that you're

00:21:16.609 --> 00:21:18.950
doing is not my reality. It's not my identity.

00:21:18.990 --> 00:21:22.410
And I choose not to listen to you. And now I

00:21:22.410 --> 00:21:25.309
said, talking with him, I was like, there's the

00:21:25.309 --> 00:21:28.789
evidence. It is clear. There's the results that

00:21:28.789 --> 00:21:31.789
have to show for it. And sometimes it is, we

00:21:31.789 --> 00:21:36.039
cannot say, okay, good for them. But the thing

00:21:36.039 --> 00:21:37.940
is that if we had given in to them, we would

00:21:37.940 --> 00:21:40.019
have been experiencing the same reality as them.

00:21:40.740 --> 00:21:44.200
Praise God. So in this, he says even people,

00:21:44.319 --> 00:21:48.339
and notice that these ones are believers. They

00:21:48.339 --> 00:21:50.180
are not, they are believers. They are people

00:21:50.180 --> 00:21:52.640
that, the word there, the disorderly there, the

00:21:52.640 --> 00:21:58.400
word, the Greek word there is, is A -T -A -K

00:21:58.400 --> 00:22:06.210
-T -O -S. A -T -A -K -T -O -S. A -T -A -K -T

00:22:06.210 --> 00:22:11.309
-O -S. And you might think because he says walks

00:22:11.309 --> 00:22:14.730
disorderly. You know, sometimes when you see

00:22:14.730 --> 00:22:18.849
walks disorderly, when you say walk, it's W -O,

00:22:18.990 --> 00:22:22.450
it's not walk. It's almost like you might think

00:22:22.450 --> 00:22:25.210
that what is said there is maybe you're not walking

00:22:25.210 --> 00:22:28.549
well. When they say somebody is walking disorderly,

00:22:28.589 --> 00:22:30.549
some people might just think that the person

00:22:30.549 --> 00:22:32.740
is just throwing his legs anyhow. I mean, that's

00:22:32.740 --> 00:22:33.980
how you can just be throwing your legs, making

00:22:33.980 --> 00:22:36.200
noise, walking around. You know, say that person

00:22:36.200 --> 00:22:40.059
is walking disorderly. It is not the literal

00:22:40.059 --> 00:22:44.500
walk. It's not a literal walking, like walking

00:22:44.500 --> 00:22:47.660
with you. And in the same passage, you'll see

00:22:47.660 --> 00:22:51.000
it made clear. If you're reading it from the

00:22:51.000 --> 00:22:57.619
NLT, NLT says those who live idle lives. Those

00:22:57.619 --> 00:23:00.779
who live idle lives. It uses live idle lives.

00:23:01.529 --> 00:23:05.309
Live idle lives. Say, live idle lives. But when

00:23:05.309 --> 00:23:08.690
you read further in verse 11, let's go to verse

00:23:08.690 --> 00:23:13.450
11. If you read further, going to verse 11, verse

00:23:13.450 --> 00:23:19.069
11 says, For we hear that there are some who

00:23:19.069 --> 00:23:24.829
walk among you in a disorderly manner. Repeating

00:23:24.829 --> 00:23:27.150
the same word, disorderly manner. And look at

00:23:27.150 --> 00:23:31.980
the manner now. Not walking at all. Not working

00:23:31.980 --> 00:23:34.640
at all. Not working at all now, makes it that

00:23:34.640 --> 00:23:38.819
he says, but are busybodies. He says, they don't

00:23:38.819 --> 00:23:41.240
work. They don't do any, they don't actively,

00:23:41.380 --> 00:23:43.180
which is what, and he says, they are idle. They

00:23:43.180 --> 00:23:50.440
live idle lives. So in verse 6, it's made clear

00:23:50.440 --> 00:23:54.500
by verse 11. You are not confused. You shouldn't

00:23:54.500 --> 00:23:57.059
be confused because in the passage, it explains

00:23:57.059 --> 00:23:59.299
what it is that you should be looking at. And

00:23:59.299 --> 00:24:02.220
not that, this is, one thing Apostle Paul is

00:24:02.220 --> 00:24:05.900
addressing. And no doubt, this one thing still

00:24:05.900 --> 00:24:08.519
points to us that if an individual, because the

00:24:08.519 --> 00:24:10.819
truth about it is that in the verse 6, he says,

00:24:10.960 --> 00:24:12.940
these people are not living according to the

00:24:12.940 --> 00:24:15.779
instructions that they have received. Meaning

00:24:15.779 --> 00:24:18.579
that if a person is in the body and is not living

00:24:18.579 --> 00:24:20.720
according to instructions, it undermines the

00:24:20.720 --> 00:24:23.799
work of ministry. Because we are ministers of

00:24:23.799 --> 00:24:26.160
God, anything we do should make the work effective.

00:24:26.720 --> 00:24:29.480
Anything we, how we live our lives will affect

00:24:29.480 --> 00:24:32.529
the works. Or in fact, even the things we do

00:24:32.529 --> 00:24:35.410
or the things we don't do, both of them have

00:24:35.410 --> 00:24:38.269
their consequences on the work of ministry. So

00:24:38.269 --> 00:24:39.890
the moment we come to this understanding, it

00:24:39.890 --> 00:24:42.029
establishes a lot of things and it helps us to

00:24:42.029 --> 00:24:45.769
move further in our work. So here, he says very

00:24:45.769 --> 00:24:49.089
clearly that, see, we draw from these people.

00:24:50.410 --> 00:24:53.329
We want to know why? Because these people will

00:24:53.329 --> 00:24:57.009
affect the way you work. Because if you are hanging

00:24:57.009 --> 00:24:59.190
around these people, as I said earlier, this

00:24:59.190 --> 00:25:02.079
person is... They say, you know, there are some

00:25:02.079 --> 00:25:04.339
people that when they say go left, they want

00:25:04.339 --> 00:25:06.039
to go right and see what is going to happen if

00:25:06.039 --> 00:25:08.140
they go right. And we know that those people

00:25:08.140 --> 00:25:10.380
are not the Spirit of God that empowers that

00:25:10.380 --> 00:25:15.220
kind of attitude. We know that it's not the Spirit

00:25:15.220 --> 00:25:18.240
of God because we know from God's Word that the

00:25:18.240 --> 00:25:23.119
Spirit of God doesn't enable rebellion. It doesn't

00:25:23.119 --> 00:25:26.039
enable rebellion. It doesn't enable disobedience.

00:25:27.819 --> 00:25:30.640
Praise God. So he says you should... Withdraw

00:25:30.640 --> 00:25:32.480
from these individuals. You should withdraw.

00:25:32.700 --> 00:25:35.579
As I said earlier, it's not just... If I give

00:25:35.579 --> 00:25:37.460
you a saying that you should withdraw from people

00:25:37.460 --> 00:25:43.579
that are believers, that are not working according

00:25:43.579 --> 00:25:48.440
to the instructions given, how much more? How

00:25:48.440 --> 00:25:51.799
much more? How much more? I used the word how

00:25:51.799 --> 00:25:53.480
much more. I wanted to talk about that, but that

00:25:53.480 --> 00:25:55.940
will be for later. How much more an individual

00:25:55.940 --> 00:26:01.099
that is not even in the same team as you? How

00:26:01.099 --> 00:26:02.920
much more an individual is not on the same team

00:26:02.920 --> 00:26:05.240
as you? It just goes to establish the fact that

00:26:05.240 --> 00:26:08.140
the individuals that we team up with will affect

00:26:08.140 --> 00:26:11.160
the results that we have. It will affect the

00:26:11.160 --> 00:26:13.180
results that we have. Because there's an example

00:26:13.180 --> 00:26:16.859
that we model in the way we do certain things.

00:26:17.859 --> 00:26:20.259
An example that we model in the way we do things.

00:26:20.940 --> 00:26:24.880
As I said, light is this thing. The way light

00:26:24.880 --> 00:26:29.279
operates, the way there's a thinking and there's

00:26:29.279 --> 00:26:32.450
a doing. that makes us very distinct. Our actions

00:26:32.450 --> 00:26:35.829
are very distinct. So if someone is, and that

00:26:35.829 --> 00:26:40.589
is disorderly because, take for example, we are

00:26:40.589 --> 00:26:43.549
asked to do, everyone is asked to, and basically

00:26:43.549 --> 00:26:48.289
this will make us see a lot of things that we're

00:26:48.289 --> 00:26:51.230
doing wrong. And I believe that this teaching

00:26:51.230 --> 00:26:55.950
will help us to understand that it is not orderly

00:26:55.950 --> 00:27:00.400
when... We are instructed to arrive in one year.

00:27:01.259 --> 00:27:04.039
And we choose not to. We're not even making any

00:27:04.039 --> 00:27:06.759
effort. Even when we say, okay, you have missed

00:27:06.759 --> 00:27:08.420
this particular day. We are going to catch up.

00:27:09.339 --> 00:27:12.059
It is disorderly. Because we have agreed. And

00:27:12.059 --> 00:27:14.240
the leadership has agreed. And everyone of us

00:27:14.240 --> 00:27:16.759
is responsible for that. It is not disorderly

00:27:16.759 --> 00:27:18.799
when we say, read the book of the month. And

00:27:18.799 --> 00:27:21.059
then you choose not to. And you see, it's idle.

00:27:21.240 --> 00:27:24.299
Because it's not idleness. It's not like... These

00:27:24.299 --> 00:27:26.950
people... I do, but they're doing something because

00:27:26.950 --> 00:27:30.329
he says they are busybodies. The question is,

00:27:30.369 --> 00:27:32.650
where do they choose to channel their energy

00:27:32.650 --> 00:27:35.730
towards? You channel your energy towards the

00:27:35.730 --> 00:27:37.970
things you feel like. You know, there's this

00:27:37.970 --> 00:27:40.509
thing of I feel like. I only do the things I

00:27:40.509 --> 00:27:43.849
feel like doing. I am bored from reading the

00:27:43.849 --> 00:27:47.190
Book of the Month. I am bored from reading the...

00:27:47.190 --> 00:27:49.450
I'm bored from even attending church activities.

00:27:49.869 --> 00:27:51.970
Our brother led us through. There are certain

00:27:51.970 --> 00:27:54.779
things he says do not neglect. It's an instruction.

00:27:54.940 --> 00:27:57.700
It's not saying only when it's convenient. That's

00:27:57.700 --> 00:28:00.119
not what it said. Sometimes it seems like when

00:28:00.119 --> 00:28:02.440
we are reading passages, some of us are interpreting

00:28:02.440 --> 00:28:04.660
the passages like it's almost like an interpreter.

00:28:05.460 --> 00:28:07.700
Interpreting it. It says, do not neglect. It

00:28:07.700 --> 00:28:10.099
says, on some occasions you can choose to neglect.

00:28:10.319 --> 00:28:11.940
It seems like that is how it is communicated

00:28:11.940 --> 00:28:14.619
sometimes when we read certain passages. But

00:28:14.619 --> 00:28:18.039
it's very clear. I love verse 9. It says, it's

00:28:18.039 --> 00:28:21.420
not because we do not have an authority. That

00:28:21.420 --> 00:28:24.069
is Apostle Paul still speaking. But we make ourselves

00:28:24.069 --> 00:28:29.150
an example of how you should follow us. In the

00:28:29.150 --> 00:28:33.130
verse 9 of 2 Thessalonians 3. 2 Thessalonians

00:28:33.130 --> 00:28:35.769
3 verse 9 says, Not because we do not have authority,

00:28:36.089 --> 00:28:40.390
but we make ourselves an example of how you should

00:28:40.390 --> 00:28:45.289
follow us. I would love us to read this. Read

00:28:45.289 --> 00:28:50.549
the Thessalonians from 1 to... 2 Thessalonians

00:28:50.549 --> 00:28:53.269
3, verse 1, because most of the times we read

00:28:53.269 --> 00:28:56.970
2 Thessalonians, we read that passage and we

00:28:56.970 --> 00:29:00.250
stop at 1, 2, and 3. But I believe that if we

00:29:00.250 --> 00:29:01.970
read the whole thing, it's going to go a long

00:29:01.970 --> 00:29:04.250
way in helping us. Let me start from verse 1.

00:29:04.849 --> 00:29:07.190
I will do that. We still have time. Finally,

00:29:07.190 --> 00:29:10.329
brethren, pray for us that the word of God will

00:29:10.329 --> 00:29:13.849
run swiftly and be glorified just as it is with

00:29:13.849 --> 00:29:19.039
you. Just as it is with you. I love the way NLT

00:29:19.039 --> 00:29:22.740
puts it. It is, we ask that you pray for us.

00:29:22.859 --> 00:29:25.819
Pray that the Lord's message will spread rapidly

00:29:25.819 --> 00:29:30.460
and be honored wherever it goes. Just as when

00:29:30.460 --> 00:29:33.839
it came to you. It will spread rapidly and be

00:29:33.839 --> 00:29:36.940
honored. It sounds like Acts 19 .20. It sounds

00:29:36.940 --> 00:29:39.279
like Acts 22, that the word of God will spread

00:29:39.279 --> 00:29:41.960
and have a powerful effect. That's how the NLT

00:29:41.960 --> 00:29:44.220
puts it. It will spread and have a powerful effect.

00:29:44.279 --> 00:29:46.380
Meaning that the spreading of the word of God

00:29:46.380 --> 00:29:49.640
has, like that is spreading, it's true. How the

00:29:49.640 --> 00:29:52.180
word of God will spread is to us as believers.

00:29:52.400 --> 00:29:55.640
Meaning that the activity, remember we said about

00:29:55.640 --> 00:30:00.680
not being idle. Not living idle. Meaning that

00:30:00.680 --> 00:30:03.400
the activity that we should do is ensuring that

00:30:03.400 --> 00:30:08.059
this word is spread. because the powerful effect

00:30:08.059 --> 00:30:11.039
of the word of God is in the spread. And if it's

00:30:11.039 --> 00:30:13.140
not spread, we will not see the powerful effect.

00:30:13.500 --> 00:30:16.700
If the word of God is not spread in the school

00:30:16.700 --> 00:30:18.579
campus, we will not see the powerful effect of

00:30:18.579 --> 00:30:21.160
the word in the campus. If the word of God is

00:30:21.160 --> 00:30:22.460
not spread on the island, we will not see the

00:30:22.460 --> 00:30:24.640
powerful effect of the word on the island. And

00:30:24.640 --> 00:30:27.819
in verse 2 it says, And that we may be delivered

00:30:27.819 --> 00:30:32.660
from unreasonable and wicked men that for all

00:30:32.660 --> 00:30:35.410
do not have faith. Speaking about those that

00:30:35.410 --> 00:30:39.309
don't believe. Praise God. It's saying that we

00:30:39.309 --> 00:30:41.109
should be delivered from them, not you team up

00:30:41.109 --> 00:30:44.690
with them. Praise God. You have to be delivered

00:30:44.690 --> 00:30:47.130
from them. You're not to partner with them because

00:30:47.130 --> 00:30:50.069
if you're partnering with them, you're associates.

00:30:50.730 --> 00:30:52.609
You can't be fighting with your close associates

00:30:52.609 --> 00:30:54.190
now. You can't be fighting your close associates.

00:30:54.269 --> 00:30:59.609
But because you're standing for what is the identity,

00:30:59.630 --> 00:31:01.750
you're standing in your identity, you are going

00:31:01.750 --> 00:31:05.210
to be... You're going to be rivals, not teammates.

00:31:05.589 --> 00:31:07.710
Praise God. Going back to the analogy I gave

00:31:07.710 --> 00:31:09.690
us with football. If you're wearing the same

00:31:09.690 --> 00:31:12.269
jersey and you're playing against a team, the

00:31:12.269 --> 00:31:13.690
team you're playing against, you have the same

00:31:13.690 --> 00:31:15.950
jersey. You will confuse your team members. You

00:31:15.950 --> 00:31:17.890
will confuse their team members. All of you will

00:31:17.890 --> 00:31:20.029
be confused. Confusion is going to be all over

00:31:20.029 --> 00:31:22.650
the match because, you know, for us, you know,

00:31:22.730 --> 00:31:25.990
even when they're playing, I think the better

00:31:25.990 --> 00:31:27.690
decision is when, you know, when you come and

00:31:27.690 --> 00:31:31.170
then, I don't know, some of us have this memory

00:31:31.170 --> 00:31:33.099
of that way. They will say, okay, two teams are

00:31:33.099 --> 00:31:34.680
playing. Because you don't have money for Jesse,

00:31:34.960 --> 00:31:36.619
they will say, okay, this other team should remove

00:31:36.619 --> 00:31:38.079
their shirts. The other team should wear shirts.

00:31:38.579 --> 00:31:40.740
So that's how you can tell which team is the

00:31:40.740 --> 00:31:43.380
different way. So when somebody comes now and

00:31:43.380 --> 00:31:45.640
is trying to play neutral, he will wear his shirt.

00:31:46.799 --> 00:31:48.380
Meanwhile, he's playing for the team he shared

00:31:48.380 --> 00:31:49.539
that because he doesn't want to take off his

00:31:49.539 --> 00:31:51.799
shirt. You know, that is an example to confuse

00:31:51.799 --> 00:31:53.640
the game. You will just be wondering what is

00:31:53.640 --> 00:31:55.640
going on here. Somebody will pass by, the teammate

00:31:55.640 --> 00:31:56.880
that is wearing a shirt will pass by and say,

00:31:57.019 --> 00:31:59.160
you don't know, is that teammate that refused

00:31:59.160 --> 00:32:01.480
to pull his shirt? Meanwhile, he's part of a

00:32:01.480 --> 00:32:03.200
teammate that should take off his shirt. And

00:32:03.200 --> 00:32:05.920
you see, confusion will just be happening. Some

00:32:05.920 --> 00:32:07.440
people will be angry. Some people will say, ah,

00:32:07.539 --> 00:32:10.619
what is wrong now? You have to take extra caution

00:32:10.619 --> 00:32:13.140
to understand what is going on. So, meaning that

00:32:13.140 --> 00:32:15.680
in this verse 2, now he says that we are delivered

00:32:15.680 --> 00:32:18.779
from, he says we are delivered from this, because

00:32:18.779 --> 00:32:21.039
this wicked and unreasonable man. There's no

00:32:21.039 --> 00:32:27.859
faith. He says, pray too that we are rescued

00:32:27.859 --> 00:32:30.359
from wicked and evil people for not everyone

00:32:30.359 --> 00:32:35.259
is a believer. He says, not everyone is a believer.

00:32:35.599 --> 00:32:38.140
Meaning that the wicked and unreasonable people

00:32:38.140 --> 00:32:39.839
are unbelievers. The people that don't believe

00:32:39.839 --> 00:32:43.059
in the gospel that is spreading, right? Because

00:32:43.059 --> 00:32:44.960
remember in verse 1, he says, it is spreading

00:32:44.960 --> 00:32:47.279
and it is glorified. These people don't believe

00:32:47.279 --> 00:32:49.910
and they are opposing it. Praise God. In verse

00:32:49.910 --> 00:32:52.869
3, it says, but the Lord is faithful. I think

00:32:52.869 --> 00:32:54.849
there's a passage we read during the course of

00:32:54.849 --> 00:32:56.910
the prayers. It says, but the Lord is faithful.

00:32:57.109 --> 00:33:00.089
Meaning that regardless of the resistance, God

00:33:00.089 --> 00:33:02.990
is still faithful. It says, who will establish

00:33:02.990 --> 00:33:06.130
you and guide you from the evil one? Notice the

00:33:06.130 --> 00:33:09.869
faithfulness of God is sure. That even in the

00:33:09.869 --> 00:33:13.349
midst of the wicked and the activities of the

00:33:13.349 --> 00:33:16.279
wicked and unreasonable. The God that has called

00:33:16.279 --> 00:33:18.519
you into it is faithful. You are not the one

00:33:18.519 --> 00:33:20.140
that's preserving yourself from the wicked, unreasonable

00:33:20.140 --> 00:33:22.460
man. When we say these prayers, we're saying

00:33:22.460 --> 00:33:23.900
these prayers because it's God that delivers

00:33:23.900 --> 00:33:27.500
us. I think when we were reading the book of

00:33:27.500 --> 00:33:29.880
the year, when we came to Nehemiah, this delivery,

00:33:30.259 --> 00:33:32.400
when we came to the book of Nehemiah, it became

00:33:32.400 --> 00:33:35.059
real, you know? When Nehemiah said, oh, we're

00:33:35.059 --> 00:33:37.220
trying to build, there are people that are coming

00:33:37.220 --> 00:33:40.319
and even making gestures. What you people are

00:33:40.319 --> 00:33:43.500
building, if a fox jumps, it will, like you know,

00:33:43.519 --> 00:33:45.920
you will not be worried yourself. What we are

00:33:45.920 --> 00:33:47.819
doing is for the good of the people and then

00:33:47.819 --> 00:33:50.619
somebody is now making fun of you. You are spreading

00:33:50.619 --> 00:33:53.440
the gospel for the people to be saved and somebody

00:33:53.440 --> 00:33:55.059
is telling you, look at this one. What do you

00:33:55.059 --> 00:33:56.960
know? Who are you to come and be teaching? What

00:33:56.960 --> 00:33:59.119
do you know about the Bible? When did you, where

00:33:59.119 --> 00:34:02.680
were you saved? Somebody will just come and just

00:34:02.680 --> 00:34:07.440
be, and those are people. Even though they can

00:34:07.440 --> 00:34:09.260
call themselves believers, they are unbelievers

00:34:09.260 --> 00:34:11.280
because they should be partnering with you to

00:34:11.280 --> 00:34:13.920
do the work. Not making fun of you while you

00:34:13.920 --> 00:34:15.400
are doing the work. Even if you don't even know

00:34:15.400 --> 00:34:17.699
how to go about it, they should still support

00:34:17.699 --> 00:34:20.920
you and encourage you. Praise God. And they say

00:34:20.920 --> 00:34:23.400
God is faithful. So even in the midst of opposition,

00:34:23.699 --> 00:34:25.800
we should remember that God is faithful. Verse

00:34:25.800 --> 00:34:28.539
4 now says, And we are confident in the Lord

00:34:28.539 --> 00:34:31.099
concerning you. Apostle Paul is speaking. But

00:34:31.099 --> 00:34:37.239
that you do. And we say, both that you do and

00:34:37.239 --> 00:34:39.920
we'll do the things that we command you. Meaning

00:34:39.920 --> 00:34:41.599
that his confidence is that they will do the

00:34:41.599 --> 00:34:44.099
things that he has commanded and instructed them

00:34:44.099 --> 00:34:48.179
to do. Now, may the Lord direct your hearts into

00:34:48.179 --> 00:34:50.639
the love of God, into the patience of Christ.

00:34:50.820 --> 00:34:55.719
But we command you, brethren, in the name of

00:34:55.719 --> 00:34:57.400
our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw, which

00:34:57.400 --> 00:34:59.360
is where he gives the instruction. He says that

00:34:59.360 --> 00:35:04.599
he should do, right? He says that they should

00:35:04.599 --> 00:35:07.619
do. And then he warns them to withdraw themselves

00:35:07.619 --> 00:35:11.699
from people who don't do. Praise God. He instructs

00:35:11.699 --> 00:35:15.039
them because the instruction is, you do. And

00:35:15.039 --> 00:35:18.440
then he says, withdraw from people who walk disorderly.

00:35:18.440 --> 00:35:20.699
Remember I said disorderly? People who are living

00:35:20.699 --> 00:35:24.119
idle lives. People who are living, and he says

00:35:24.119 --> 00:35:25.739
idle lives now is because they are not living

00:35:25.739 --> 00:35:28.099
according to the instruction that they have received.

00:35:29.039 --> 00:35:32.619
Praise God. So you see that this whole passage

00:35:32.619 --> 00:35:35.880
is, He's clearly talking about, first and foremost,

00:35:35.920 --> 00:35:37.500
the verse 1, which is the spread of the gospel,

00:35:37.659 --> 00:35:42.159
which is he doing that which causes people to

00:35:42.159 --> 00:35:44.780
come into the knowledge of Christ. And then you

00:35:44.780 --> 00:35:46.659
can be aware of the people that will set the

00:35:46.659 --> 00:35:48.840
wrong example, people that will deter you from

00:35:48.840 --> 00:35:50.260
the work that you have called to do. You should

00:35:50.260 --> 00:35:56.500
be aware of that. And then in verse 7 now, yeah,

00:35:56.559 --> 00:36:00.340
we're in verse 7. It says, for you know how,

00:36:00.460 --> 00:36:04.900
you see, for you yourselves, know how you ought

00:36:04.900 --> 00:36:08.440
to follow us. You yourselves know how you ought

00:36:08.440 --> 00:36:10.500
to follow us because Apostle Paul now is telling

00:36:10.500 --> 00:36:14.599
us he has set an example for them to follow.

00:36:15.179 --> 00:36:18.380
How you ought to follow us for we were not disorderly

00:36:18.380 --> 00:36:23.579
among you. Meaning that he was not idle. Praise

00:36:23.579 --> 00:36:26.579
God. He was not idle. Apostle Paul was a tent

00:36:26.579 --> 00:36:28.579
maker. Apostle Paul was doing this, doing that.

00:36:28.679 --> 00:36:30.880
Apostle Paul was diligent in the work of ministry.

00:36:31.099 --> 00:36:34.329
He was not idle. And then he now comes in the

00:36:34.329 --> 00:36:38.809
verse 8. He says, nor did we eat anyone's bread

00:36:38.809 --> 00:36:43.670
free of charge, but worked with labor and toil

00:36:43.670 --> 00:36:47.789
day and night that we may not be a burden to

00:36:47.789 --> 00:36:51.090
any one of you. Then in 9 now he says, not because

00:36:51.090 --> 00:36:53.469
we do not have an authority. So he says he could

00:36:53.469 --> 00:36:55.769
exercise his authority and say, please, I want

00:36:55.769 --> 00:36:58.289
to be on a salary. I can't be doing the work

00:36:58.289 --> 00:37:02.179
of ministry and you not put me on a salary. He

00:37:02.179 --> 00:37:05.239
now says, but we make ourselves an example of

00:37:05.239 --> 00:37:07.780
how you should follow us. An example of how you

00:37:07.780 --> 00:37:09.219
should follow us. I want to read it from the

00:37:09.219 --> 00:37:14.300
NLT. That's verse 9. He says, we certainly have

00:37:14.300 --> 00:37:17.980
the right to ask you to feed us. We have that

00:37:17.980 --> 00:37:21.260
right to ask you to feed us. He says, but we

00:37:21.260 --> 00:37:25.440
want to give you an example to follow. This,

00:37:25.500 --> 00:37:32.509
you, you, we undermine the power of. people,

00:37:32.509 --> 00:37:36.150
like, people modeling things to us. Many of us,

00:37:36.230 --> 00:37:38.469
there are certain things that we could not have

00:37:38.469 --> 00:37:41.889
done if we had not seen somebody do it. I think

00:37:41.889 --> 00:37:44.869
I was, I think in the, very clearly, our sister,

00:37:45.050 --> 00:37:48.510
Sister Kelly, in the Australian team, she said

00:37:48.510 --> 00:37:51.449
she was not motivated to do it until when she

00:37:51.449 --> 00:37:55.190
looked at Sister Titi, that is Pastor Emmanuel's

00:37:55.190 --> 00:37:57.190
wife, and then she's like, she has the child.

00:37:57.550 --> 00:37:58.989
She has this thing. She didn't have any idea.

00:37:59.050 --> 00:38:02.289
She wrote her thesis. Because somebody modeled

00:38:02.289 --> 00:38:04.730
something that motivated her to do it. And this

00:38:04.730 --> 00:38:07.789
also applies in our spiritual work. If you don't

00:38:07.789 --> 00:38:11.329
see that something is possible, you almost will

00:38:11.329 --> 00:38:14.849
feel like it's unattainable. I told a student,

00:38:14.929 --> 00:38:17.469
I said, there is a student that graduated with

00:38:17.469 --> 00:38:21.170
a 4 .0. The guy screamed. I said, it is possible.

00:38:21.719 --> 00:38:23.719
The fact that someone could do it means that

00:38:23.719 --> 00:38:25.400
you could do it. You just need to work at it.

00:38:25.480 --> 00:38:27.719
And we're not saying that you should kill yourself

00:38:27.719 --> 00:38:29.219
to do it. We're saying that you should know that

00:38:29.219 --> 00:38:31.519
it's possible and work towards it. If you don't

00:38:31.519 --> 00:38:33.760
have a four -point, you have it. But you moved

00:38:33.760 --> 00:38:36.340
from one point something to somewhere convenient.

00:38:36.559 --> 00:38:39.760
If that's where you are. But because somebody

00:38:39.760 --> 00:38:42.139
is possible, you'll be motivated to put in the

00:38:42.139 --> 00:38:45.019
work to get it done. Same thing with our work.

00:38:45.199 --> 00:38:50.360
The moment someone models to you something. And

00:38:50.360 --> 00:38:52.179
that was what Jesus Christ did with his disciples.

00:38:52.440 --> 00:38:55.619
He modeled service. He didn't just tell them,

00:38:55.639 --> 00:38:58.400
go and serve. He modeled it to them. We see that

00:38:58.400 --> 00:39:01.820
in the actions, the washing of their feet, the

00:39:01.820 --> 00:39:04.260
different things he did, even how to pray. When

00:39:04.260 --> 00:39:06.559
he goes and prays, he was modeling something

00:39:06.559 --> 00:39:10.460
to them. And it's very powerful. The power that

00:39:10.460 --> 00:39:13.739
you don't believe, like doing certain things

00:39:13.739 --> 00:39:16.019
and people doing it and you watch them, it is

00:39:16.019 --> 00:39:17.980
very powerful. That's why some of the times,

00:39:18.119 --> 00:39:20.199
it's not that we cannot delegate certain things,

00:39:20.239 --> 00:39:22.059
but there's certain things that we have to model

00:39:22.059 --> 00:39:26.000
so that you see. And then you learn and you know

00:39:26.000 --> 00:39:29.980
how it is done. And Apostle Paul in this passage

00:39:29.980 --> 00:39:33.179
is telling, look, we're not telling you to do

00:39:33.179 --> 00:39:37.539
what we don't do. We are telling you to do these

00:39:37.539 --> 00:39:39.760
things because we have shown you how it is done.

00:39:39.940 --> 00:39:43.119
And we demand of you to do likewise. Because

00:39:43.119 --> 00:39:45.219
even when Jesus Christ was giving instructions

00:39:45.219 --> 00:39:46.980
to the disciples, he's giving them an instruction

00:39:46.980 --> 00:39:49.199
on the premise that he has shown them how to

00:39:49.199 --> 00:39:51.460
do it and he has empowered them with the tool

00:39:51.460 --> 00:39:53.539
to do it as well. So he's not just leaving them

00:39:53.539 --> 00:39:58.460
fatherless or leaving them clueless as to how

00:39:58.460 --> 00:40:01.639
to go about it. And we see even in Apostle Paul's

00:40:01.639 --> 00:40:05.019
instruction to Timothy. In 1 Timothy 4, verse

00:40:05.019 --> 00:40:07.539
12. I want us to read that passage. 1 Timothy

00:40:07.539 --> 00:40:11.260
4, verse 12. I want us to go to 1 Timothy 4,

00:40:11.340 --> 00:40:18.480
verse 12. 1 Timothy 4, verse 12. It says, don't

00:40:18.480 --> 00:40:20.659
let anyone think less of you. I'm reading from

00:40:20.659 --> 00:40:23.460
the NLT. Don't let anyone think less of you because

00:40:23.460 --> 00:40:26.800
you are young. Be an example to all believers

00:40:26.800 --> 00:40:31.460
in what you say, in the way you live, in your

00:40:31.460 --> 00:40:38.179
love. in your faith and your purity. New King

00:40:38.179 --> 00:40:42.760
James says, let no one despise your youth. He

00:40:42.760 --> 00:40:46.579
says, but make yourselves an example. Sorry,

00:40:47.000 --> 00:40:50.139
but be an example to the believer in your own

00:40:50.139 --> 00:40:54.900
word, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

00:40:55.659 --> 00:40:59.659
He's instructing Timothy, be an example. Be an

00:40:59.659 --> 00:41:03.539
example. Be an example. Be an example to the

00:41:03.539 --> 00:41:07.420
believers. Be an example to the believers. Because

00:41:07.420 --> 00:41:09.599
if you say, don't team up, you want to see what

00:41:09.599 --> 00:41:14.539
it means, how life is when you are walking in

00:41:14.539 --> 00:41:17.059
the instructions given. You're walking in the

00:41:17.059 --> 00:41:20.659
instructions given. And we also see that, we

00:41:20.659 --> 00:41:24.579
also see in Hebrews, we also see in Hebrews,

00:41:24.679 --> 00:41:28.739
Hebrews 13 verse 7. Hebrews 13 verse 7. Hebrews

00:41:28.739 --> 00:41:30.840
13 verse 7. This is in relation, because you

00:41:30.840 --> 00:41:32.400
know that all of these examples are in relation

00:41:32.400 --> 00:41:35.059
to leadership. It's in relation to leadership.

00:41:35.300 --> 00:41:38.980
Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken

00:41:38.980 --> 00:41:41.699
the word of God to you, whose faith you follow,

00:41:41.840 --> 00:41:45.500
considering the outcome of their conduct. The

00:41:45.500 --> 00:41:48.579
NLC says, follow the example of their faith.

00:41:49.460 --> 00:41:53.380
Follow the example of their faith. It says, remember

00:41:53.380 --> 00:41:56.900
your leaders who taught you the word. Who taught

00:41:56.900 --> 00:42:00.260
you the word. Who taught you the word? Say, who

00:42:00.260 --> 00:42:03.440
taught you the word of God? Think of all the

00:42:03.440 --> 00:42:08.099
good that has come from their lives. Meaning

00:42:08.099 --> 00:42:11.579
that you're looking at the results of that good

00:42:11.579 --> 00:42:15.420
from their life. Look at the results of the good.

00:42:15.739 --> 00:42:17.400
The things that have been taught. Meaning that

00:42:17.400 --> 00:42:19.639
the leader also has the responsibility to live

00:42:19.639 --> 00:42:22.980
out what he teaches. Has that responsibility

00:42:22.980 --> 00:42:26.940
as well. And follow the example of their faith,

00:42:27.039 --> 00:42:29.940
meaning that the faith of the leader is something

00:42:29.940 --> 00:42:33.199
that people can see and follow because it's modeled.

00:42:34.059 --> 00:42:37.760
And on different levels, we see that as believers,

00:42:38.380 --> 00:42:43.639
we see, we model, and some other person is looking

00:42:43.639 --> 00:42:47.519
at us and following suit because your inability

00:42:47.519 --> 00:42:50.280
to model this thing would deny someone an opportunity

00:42:50.280 --> 00:42:54.239
to see it and see the possibility. And then follow

00:42:54.239 --> 00:42:56.280
suit. Because every one of us, remember what

00:42:56.280 --> 00:42:59.820
we started with. We are light. Right? We are

00:42:59.820 --> 00:43:04.539
light. People should, and light reflects. When

00:43:04.539 --> 00:43:07.099
light is in a place, it shines. When light is

00:43:07.099 --> 00:43:11.599
in a place, people will see. Right? People will

00:43:11.599 --> 00:43:13.719
see. So there's a showing that happens as a result

00:43:13.719 --> 00:43:18.840
of that. And we shouldn't undermine the investment

00:43:18.840 --> 00:43:25.840
of God upon our lives. not do or not act, not

00:43:25.840 --> 00:43:28.659
be distinct. We are undermining the investment

00:43:28.659 --> 00:43:34.539
of God. We are not making the most of what we

00:43:34.539 --> 00:43:40.900
have been given. And we will not be able to see

00:43:40.900 --> 00:43:42.820
the plans and purpose because when you undermine,

00:43:43.019 --> 00:43:44.860
like if you don't even see the investment that

00:43:44.860 --> 00:43:47.840
has been done, you're undermining. If you don't

00:43:47.840 --> 00:43:51.239
see that there's an example to live by, you will

00:43:51.239 --> 00:43:54.480
not follow. And all of this will not make the

00:43:54.480 --> 00:43:57.380
book of ministry the success that it should be.

00:43:57.440 --> 00:43:59.179
Because remember, in the passage that we read,

00:43:59.280 --> 00:44:02.039
even though I think we'll have to read that passage

00:44:02.039 --> 00:44:04.619
down to the very end, because there's a lot more

00:44:04.619 --> 00:44:06.820
things that I would love us to see in that passage.

00:44:07.519 --> 00:44:11.699
I think we stopped in verse 9. That's in 2 Thessalonians

00:44:11.699 --> 00:44:14.699
3. I want us to go back to 2 Thessalonians. I

00:44:14.699 --> 00:44:17.119
want us to read it down to 15. I think we'll

00:44:17.119 --> 00:44:23.190
stop in 15. 2 Thessalonians 3. He says, for even

00:44:23.190 --> 00:44:28.710
when we were with you, we commanded you this.

00:44:28.989 --> 00:44:32.929
If anyone will not walk, neither shall he eat.

00:44:33.369 --> 00:44:35.289
You know, this one is a standard. If you don't

00:44:35.289 --> 00:44:39.130
want to, you will not see food if you don't want

00:44:39.130 --> 00:44:42.369
to walk. See, for we hear that there are some

00:44:42.369 --> 00:44:45.969
who walk among you in a disorderly manner, which

00:44:45.969 --> 00:44:48.929
is the 11 that we read earlier, not walking at

00:44:48.929 --> 00:44:52.530
all. They choose not to walk at all, but are

00:44:52.530 --> 00:44:56.050
busybodies doing something else other than walking.

00:44:56.570 --> 00:45:03.909
Now, those who are such, we command and exalt

00:45:03.909 --> 00:45:08.670
through our Lord Jesus Christ that they walk

00:45:08.670 --> 00:45:12.690
in the quietness and eat their own bread. So

00:45:12.690 --> 00:45:17.860
it's commanding and exalting. that they walk

00:45:17.860 --> 00:45:23.480
in quietness and eat their own bread. Meaning

00:45:23.480 --> 00:45:26.619
that they should change their ways. They should

00:45:26.619 --> 00:45:29.079
change their ways and walk in their own way.

00:45:29.099 --> 00:45:34.559
But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in

00:45:34.559 --> 00:45:37.300
doing good. Praise God. Do not grow weary in

00:45:37.300 --> 00:45:39.199
doing good. He's speaking to those that are walking,

00:45:39.519 --> 00:45:41.360
those that are this thing, which is what I said

00:45:41.360 --> 00:45:43.659
earlier. Don't grow weary. You are doing the

00:45:43.659 --> 00:45:45.719
right thing. You might not be seeing the results.

00:45:46.190 --> 00:45:48.170
You might not be seeing the progress, but just

00:45:48.170 --> 00:45:50.349
stay faithful to what the instructions that has

00:45:50.349 --> 00:45:53.409
been given. Because sometimes, and I sense there

00:45:53.409 --> 00:45:57.789
are people that you get to a place where you

00:45:57.789 --> 00:46:00.550
are putting the work and it's tiring and you're

00:46:00.550 --> 00:46:02.889
like, I'm not seeing it. I'm not understanding

00:46:02.889 --> 00:46:05.869
it. I'm not getting it. Just keep at it. Don't

00:46:05.869 --> 00:46:08.789
grow weary in doing it. Don't grow weary in doing

00:46:08.789 --> 00:46:11.150
it. Don't grow weary in doing the things that

00:46:11.150 --> 00:46:12.889
have brought you to this point. Because sometimes

00:46:12.889 --> 00:46:14.949
there's a season of your life where you are sensing

00:46:14.949 --> 00:46:19.360
that God is, that it's almost like you have a

00:46:19.360 --> 00:46:22.039
snapshot of what God is going to do in the future.

00:46:22.239 --> 00:46:24.179
And you become frustrated because you're not

00:46:24.179 --> 00:46:25.699
seeing what God is going to do in the future

00:46:25.699 --> 00:46:30.099
in the now. But note that it is going to undermine

00:46:30.099 --> 00:46:34.760
the progress. It's going to make you undermine

00:46:34.760 --> 00:46:37.340
the work that you have done to this point and

00:46:37.340 --> 00:46:40.480
not allow you and be encouraged to keep doing

00:46:40.480 --> 00:46:43.260
it to see what you have been shown. And for some

00:46:43.260 --> 00:46:45.699
of us, it's where we're at. We're in the season

00:46:45.699 --> 00:46:48.099
of our life where God is showing us the things

00:46:48.099 --> 00:46:51.099
he's going to do in and through us. And then

00:46:51.099 --> 00:46:53.599
you are looking at your now and feeling like

00:46:53.599 --> 00:46:56.440
you cannot get there. And then you allow yourself

00:46:56.440 --> 00:46:59.260
to be overwhelmed by that. I'm speaking to you

00:46:59.260 --> 00:47:02.340
by the Spirit of God. This instruction is that

00:47:02.340 --> 00:47:04.400
you should not grow weary in doing the things

00:47:04.400 --> 00:47:06.300
that I brought you now. And you should not make

00:47:06.300 --> 00:47:08.900
people change the things. I'd make you add things,

00:47:09.039 --> 00:47:11.000
almost like you're trying to walk your way. to

00:47:11.000 --> 00:47:12.940
get to that place where God has shown you by

00:47:12.940 --> 00:47:16.400
yourself. Know that it is his agenda. If you

00:47:16.400 --> 00:47:18.820
want to run his agenda, you run his agenda in

00:47:18.820 --> 00:47:22.079
his own terms, not your own terms. And Apostle

00:47:22.079 --> 00:47:25.380
Paul, he knows that we can grow weary. And he's

00:47:25.380 --> 00:47:27.659
telling us in this passage in verse 13, do not

00:47:27.659 --> 00:47:30.800
grow weary in doing good. 14, he says, and if

00:47:30.800 --> 00:47:34.440
anyone does not obey our word in this epistle,

00:47:34.659 --> 00:47:39.369
note that person and do not keep... company.

00:47:39.510 --> 00:47:43.909
It's the same thing again. If anybody is in disobedience,

00:47:44.030 --> 00:47:46.329
you see, note that person. I think like Pastor

00:47:46.329 --> 00:47:50.150
Victor said, mark the person. Mark the person.

00:47:50.289 --> 00:47:53.789
Note the person. You are noting the person because

00:47:53.789 --> 00:47:56.269
you don't want to be, you see, he says, note

00:47:56.269 --> 00:47:59.210
that person and don't keep company with that

00:47:59.210 --> 00:48:01.030
person. He tells you not to keep company with

00:48:01.030 --> 00:48:02.650
that person. Don't team up with that person.

00:48:03.130 --> 00:48:07.690
He says that you, that he may be ashamed. Note

00:48:07.690 --> 00:48:10.909
that you are You are doing it so that a person

00:48:10.909 --> 00:48:13.309
will see they are wrong. Because there's something

00:48:13.309 --> 00:48:15.909
about, which is another thing that we will teach

00:48:15.909 --> 00:48:17.190
at some point in time, there's something about

00:48:17.190 --> 00:48:22.090
fellowship. There's the joy of fellowship. And

00:48:22.090 --> 00:48:25.030
when a believer is denied of fellowship, you

00:48:25.030 --> 00:48:28.789
know, in their own setting, the setting of the

00:48:28.789 --> 00:48:31.969
backbend, when they withdraw, you know, normally,

00:48:32.130 --> 00:48:33.769
when people used to come around you, how are

00:48:33.769 --> 00:48:35.230
you doing and everything, and then people withdraw

00:48:35.230 --> 00:48:36.869
fellowship, you yourself will be like, what did

00:48:36.869 --> 00:48:39.980
I do now? That in itself will compel you to make

00:48:39.980 --> 00:48:42.380
a change, to change your ways, so that you'll

00:48:42.380 --> 00:48:44.219
be restored back to fellowship. But nowadays,

00:48:44.500 --> 00:48:46.800
it's like, people should go. Who are you people?

00:48:47.019 --> 00:48:49.800
We can't do without you. You'll be talking to

00:48:49.800 --> 00:48:52.420
an entire group. You'll be talking about an entire

00:48:52.420 --> 00:48:55.400
group because you don't understand the importance

00:48:55.400 --> 00:48:58.480
of the community and the family of God. And that

00:48:58.480 --> 00:49:01.679
in itself just establishes that you have no clue.

00:49:02.010 --> 00:49:03.650
what you are saying, what you are doing. And

00:49:03.650 --> 00:49:05.789
when, most of the times in this day and age,

00:49:05.849 --> 00:49:07.710
what you should reset the person is by this,

00:49:07.750 --> 00:49:10.250
when the person has challenge and the supposed

00:49:10.250 --> 00:49:12.610
people he has teamed up with are not there for

00:49:12.610 --> 00:49:14.570
him in that time when he need it. And it's if,

00:49:14.690 --> 00:49:17.090
body of Christ, there you say, hey, hello pastor,

00:49:17.309 --> 00:49:20.269
I'm in a situation, I don't know, I know I've

00:49:20.269 --> 00:49:22.469
done wrong, but I know you people will forgive

00:49:22.469 --> 00:49:24.929
me. You know, this is the way you, people now

00:49:24.929 --> 00:49:27.489
become manipulative and then persuade and make

00:49:27.489 --> 00:49:29.769
you to come. Meanwhile, they are the ones that

00:49:30.000 --> 00:49:32.539
position themselves for the disaster that they

00:49:32.539 --> 00:49:35.059
have brought upon themselves. Praise God. So

00:49:35.059 --> 00:49:40.000
he says, then 15 now says, yet do not count him

00:49:40.000 --> 00:49:43.300
as an enemy, which is very important. Don't count

00:49:43.300 --> 00:49:45.699
the individual as an enemy, but admonish him

00:49:45.699 --> 00:49:49.539
as a brother, which is very key. When we are

00:49:49.539 --> 00:49:52.059
dissociating, and that's what we talked about

00:49:52.059 --> 00:49:55.559
when he says in that Matthew 18, when he says

00:49:55.559 --> 00:49:56.900
let's treat him as a non -believer, and where

00:49:56.900 --> 00:50:00.659
we establish the fact that Some people say, how

00:50:00.659 --> 00:50:03.019
did Jesus treat unbelievers? That's what you

00:50:03.019 --> 00:50:05.420
should ask yourself. How did he treat unbelievers?

00:50:05.659 --> 00:50:08.920
He fellowshiped with them. I know that when people

00:50:08.920 --> 00:50:10.800
say, oh, we see Jesus, he fellowshiped with unbelievers,

00:50:10.960 --> 00:50:13.760
you want to understand that his fellowship with

00:50:13.760 --> 00:50:17.840
them is to, you can look at the example in Luke

00:50:17.840 --> 00:50:22.760
19 of Zacchaeus. His presence in Zacchaeus' house,

00:50:22.960 --> 00:50:26.570
this individual had a turnaround. He said, if

00:50:26.570 --> 00:50:29.010
I've taken any goods of him, this person was

00:50:29.010 --> 00:50:33.550
in wickedness, he was extorting money from people.

00:50:33.610 --> 00:50:36.889
In the fellowship he had with him, there was

00:50:36.889 --> 00:50:39.369
a turnaround in his attitude, in his conduct.

00:50:39.869 --> 00:50:42.570
This individual believed in Christ. In fact,

00:50:42.670 --> 00:50:44.989
that was what drove him to be able to go and

00:50:44.989 --> 00:50:47.110
seek him, and that's what brought him to dwell

00:50:47.110 --> 00:50:50.130
in his house. So it means that your association

00:50:50.130 --> 00:50:52.940
with... unbelievers, they should be an influence.

00:50:53.059 --> 00:50:54.719
You should not be associating with them and lose

00:50:54.719 --> 00:50:57.900
your identity in the course of it. Because we're

00:50:57.900 --> 00:50:59.739
not saying that we don't have relationships with

00:50:59.739 --> 00:51:02.039
them. We're saying that close relationships where

00:51:02.039 --> 00:51:05.000
you will lose your identity is what it is. You

00:51:05.000 --> 00:51:07.820
cannot come and then your best friend, your five

00:51:07.820 --> 00:51:12.860
and six, you say, this person is my best friend

00:51:12.860 --> 00:51:17.559
and the person is an unbeliever. that will undermine

00:51:17.559 --> 00:51:20.860
your identity. It will undermine your belief

00:51:20.860 --> 00:51:24.300
system to undermine who you are in Christ Jesus

00:51:24.300 --> 00:51:26.639
because you will find times in that relationship

00:51:26.639 --> 00:51:29.360
where you compromise. And that in itself will

00:51:29.360 --> 00:51:31.579
not help you be able to... And most of us, we

00:51:31.579 --> 00:51:33.500
have done it so much to the point that we can't

00:51:33.500 --> 00:51:35.980
even preach to the person. You don't even have...

00:51:35.980 --> 00:51:39.000
When they say, we have preached... You say, where

00:51:39.000 --> 00:51:42.860
do I start? Because you have so entangled yourself,

00:51:43.219 --> 00:51:45.599
done so many things that even when you now say,

00:51:45.880 --> 00:51:47.820
You know, Jesus loves you. You know, he died.

00:51:47.980 --> 00:51:50.539
You're like, you're saying it and you're in denial.

00:51:50.960 --> 00:51:54.440
You know, because he died for you, but you don't

00:51:54.440 --> 00:51:56.920
know how to communicate it. You're not bold enough

00:51:56.920 --> 00:52:00.059
to do so because you have teamed up with this

00:52:00.059 --> 00:52:02.099
individual and you have done things you shouldn't

00:52:02.099 --> 00:52:04.400
be doing with them in the first place. Praise

00:52:04.400 --> 00:52:06.900
God. That is the power of, because you should

00:52:06.900 --> 00:52:10.579
have been an example to the individual. That

00:52:10.579 --> 00:52:13.380
is what you are called to do. Like, we are not

00:52:13.380 --> 00:52:15.980
meant to hide. We are meant to shine. You should

00:52:15.980 --> 00:52:18.139
have been an example in such a way that this

00:52:18.139 --> 00:52:20.599
individual, even if they had not come to the

00:52:20.599 --> 00:52:22.860
place of believing, they should have seen that

00:52:22.860 --> 00:52:25.780
example that when the time comes, they will say,

00:52:25.820 --> 00:52:30.780
I know someone. He's a friend of mine. He stood

00:52:30.780 --> 00:52:33.039
for this. He stood for that. He stood for this.

00:52:33.139 --> 00:52:35.039
Because of him, I believe what you are saying.

00:52:36.599 --> 00:52:39.139
Because of his life, because of what I've seen,

00:52:39.219 --> 00:52:41.920
I believe what you are saying. But you have believers

00:52:41.920 --> 00:52:45.389
that have... so compromised in their identity

00:52:45.389 --> 00:52:46.909
that when you now come and your parents say,

00:52:47.010 --> 00:52:48.969
ah, is he in all of you? We know they will put

00:52:48.969 --> 00:52:51.050
everybody in the same WhatsApp group and including

00:52:51.050 --> 00:52:54.929
yourself that is living, that you understand

00:52:54.929 --> 00:52:57.030
your identity, you are carrying out your responsibility

00:52:57.030 --> 00:52:59.969
the way you should. Praise God. So I want us

00:52:59.969 --> 00:53:03.349
to really be encouraged to note that there's

00:53:03.349 --> 00:53:06.070
a clear distinction between how a believer should

00:53:06.070 --> 00:53:09.369
live. And it says in 1 Peter 2 verse 9, it says,

00:53:09.510 --> 00:53:13.139
you're called out. We're called out. We're called

00:53:13.139 --> 00:53:16.219
out. He says, but you are a chosen generation,

00:53:16.539 --> 00:53:18.880
a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his special

00:53:18.880 --> 00:53:22.099
people. He says that you may proclaim the praises

00:53:22.099 --> 00:53:24.159
of him who called you out of darkness into his

00:53:24.159 --> 00:53:25.900
marvelous light, meaning that we're in his marvelous

00:53:25.900 --> 00:53:28.880
light. And the responsibility we have is to proclaim.

00:53:29.820 --> 00:53:32.860
There's a distinction. It's clear. He says, we

00:53:32.860 --> 00:53:36.039
are the chosen. We're not just a likeness. We're

00:53:36.039 --> 00:53:38.639
his chosen generation. You're a chosen generation.

00:53:38.900 --> 00:53:42.019
You're a royal priesthood. You're a holy nation.

00:53:42.139 --> 00:53:45.119
He's special people. He's special people. And

00:53:45.119 --> 00:53:48.519
some other translation will say display. Amplified

00:53:48.519 --> 00:53:51.179
will say display. And then it will say show.

00:53:51.340 --> 00:53:53.480
Jerry Phillips will say demonstrate. Meaning

00:53:53.480 --> 00:53:56.260
that these things are things that are manifest.

00:53:56.480 --> 00:54:00.059
They are things that you proclaim. And all of

00:54:00.059 --> 00:54:01.659
these things are very powerful when we think

00:54:01.659 --> 00:54:05.360
about it, that there's a responsibility. There's

00:54:05.360 --> 00:54:08.320
the account. We are accountable on the basis

00:54:08.320 --> 00:54:11.510
of the fact that we... There's what is expected

00:54:11.510 --> 00:54:15.369
of us. And once we're not able to meet up with

00:54:15.369 --> 00:54:17.929
that, we have a body and a system by which we're

00:54:17.929 --> 00:54:20.989
able to go back and look at it and be instructed

00:54:20.989 --> 00:54:25.030
and be guided and understand what it is and how

00:54:25.030 --> 00:54:27.110
it is we should go about the things that we're

00:54:27.110 --> 00:54:30.710
called into. And I want to close with this. I

00:54:30.710 --> 00:54:33.849
want to close with this. I want to just remind

00:54:33.849 --> 00:54:41.000
us of what we are instructed to do. The work

00:54:41.000 --> 00:54:43.619
of ministry is not optional. It's not an option.

00:54:43.760 --> 00:54:46.519
You don't choose to do this and not to do it.

00:54:46.559 --> 00:54:50.579
It's something that is a natural, it flows. As

00:54:50.579 --> 00:54:54.219
we saw in 1 Peter 2 verse 9, it's something that

00:54:54.219 --> 00:54:56.519
flows. It's a proclaim. We are proclaiming what

00:54:56.519 --> 00:54:57.900
we are called. It's not like we are going to

00:54:57.900 --> 00:55:00.889
be called. And we see the word calling, and calling

00:55:00.889 --> 00:55:02.889
is what we have received, the salvation we have

00:55:02.889 --> 00:55:05.329
received. We see that in Ephesians 4, where it

00:55:05.329 --> 00:55:08.789
says he uses the word called. We know that that

00:55:08.789 --> 00:55:10.929
is where we are at, meaning that we are meant

00:55:10.929 --> 00:55:14.130
to do likewise. Praise God. And that is why the

00:55:14.130 --> 00:55:17.010
Great Commission is very powerful. In Mark 16,

00:55:17.150 --> 00:55:21.250
it says, go into the world and preach the gospel

00:55:21.250 --> 00:55:24.789
to every creature. It says, he who believes and

00:55:24.789 --> 00:55:30.280
is baptized will be saved. But he who does not

00:55:30.280 --> 00:55:34.260
believe will be damned. It says, And these signs

00:55:34.260 --> 00:55:37.320
will follow those who believe. Meaning that all

00:55:37.320 --> 00:55:40.880
those who believe, this will be evident. In my

00:55:40.880 --> 00:55:44.980
name they will cast out demons. They will speak

00:55:44.980 --> 00:55:48.539
new tongues. They will take up serpents. They

00:55:48.539 --> 00:55:51.880
will drink any deadly thing. They will by no

00:55:51.880 --> 00:55:56.860
means hurt them. They will lay hands on the sick.

00:55:57.239 --> 00:56:00.059
And they will recover. All of these things are

00:56:00.059 --> 00:56:03.559
the things that are going to be manifest as a

00:56:03.559 --> 00:56:07.500
result of our identity. And these are the things

00:56:07.500 --> 00:56:10.380
that we are responsible to see. We'll see these

00:56:10.380 --> 00:56:12.519
things responsible. And we are going to be teaching

00:56:12.519 --> 00:56:14.179
these things. We're going to be seeing this.

00:56:14.260 --> 00:56:17.119
And we see that in the life of the apostles was

00:56:17.119 --> 00:56:19.340
evident. And in the church of NEC, we're seeing

00:56:19.340 --> 00:56:21.900
these things. And we're believing God for greater

00:56:21.900 --> 00:56:24.099
manifestations of these things in this season.

00:56:24.179 --> 00:56:27.329
And I want us to... Let our faith be. I think

00:56:27.329 --> 00:56:31.269
when we were talking yesterday, we are desiring

00:56:31.269 --> 00:56:33.630
to see a greater manifestation. We have seen

00:56:33.630 --> 00:56:37.269
how God heals the sick. We have seen how God

00:56:37.269 --> 00:56:41.590
does great and mighty things. But we know that

00:56:41.590 --> 00:56:43.889
there is more. And we know that God is able to

00:56:43.889 --> 00:56:45.809
do great and mighty things. And we are able to

00:56:45.809 --> 00:56:48.710
see a great spread. And not that the result of

00:56:48.710 --> 00:56:51.030
this will be that there will be a massive spread.

00:56:51.110 --> 00:56:53.219
We'll see the massive spread of God's word. on

00:56:53.219 --> 00:56:56.099
the island will see people turning around because

00:56:56.099 --> 00:56:58.800
the message will go out and there will be a powerful

00:56:58.800 --> 00:57:00.860
effect. The message will go out and there will

00:57:00.860 --> 00:57:02.559
be a powerful effect that people will see. It

00:57:02.559 --> 00:57:05.960
says in Acts 19 verse 11, it says, and now God

00:57:05.960 --> 00:57:08.380
will work unusual miracles by the hands of all.

00:57:09.000 --> 00:57:11.280
And there are many things that we see and all

00:57:11.280 --> 00:57:13.920
of these things are testament to the command

00:57:13.920 --> 00:57:16.880
and the commission given and that is what followed.

00:57:17.099 --> 00:57:19.599
And we're believing and we're seeing that God

00:57:19.599 --> 00:57:21.539
is doing this thing. God is the same God. He's

00:57:21.539 --> 00:57:23.829
doing this thing. in our midst. And we're greatly

00:57:23.829 --> 00:57:26.489
encouraged that ministry is effective. The power

00:57:26.489 --> 00:57:30.630
of God is part of. The power that we see is in

00:57:30.630 --> 00:57:32.329
the gospel being preached and the power that

00:57:32.329 --> 00:57:34.909
we see is in the different miracles, the unusual

00:57:34.909 --> 00:57:37.889
miracles that's been done and where his children,

00:57:38.030 --> 00:57:39.650
where his ministers and we're going to be able

00:57:39.650 --> 00:57:41.849
to see these things and we're thanking God for

00:57:41.849 --> 00:57:44.150
the manifestation of these things and we're seeing

00:57:44.150 --> 00:57:46.230
a greater manifestation of it because we're designed

00:57:46.230 --> 00:57:49.090
to see God do these things in and through us.

00:57:49.190 --> 00:57:52.019
So I want us to close with this. I think Pastor

00:57:52.019 --> 00:57:54.059
Costin said it in the closing, and I resonated

00:57:54.059 --> 00:57:56.840
greatly with it, that we are not just ministers

00:57:56.840 --> 00:58:00.420
of God. We are ministers of the gospel. We are

00:58:00.420 --> 00:58:02.400
not just ministers of God. What we minister as

00:58:02.400 --> 00:58:05.179
ministers of God is the gospel. So I want us

00:58:05.179 --> 00:58:06.960
to say this in closing. I'm a minister of the

00:58:06.960 --> 00:58:10.659
gospel. I'm a minister of the gospel, winning

00:58:10.659 --> 00:58:14.559
billions of souls. It says I receive the training,

00:58:14.699 --> 00:58:18.510
and I train others. I receive training and I

00:58:18.510 --> 00:58:21.809
train others. I am faithful in serving the church

00:58:21.809 --> 00:58:24.949
of NECF, which is my local church. It says, I

00:58:24.949 --> 00:58:27.809
am accountable to the leadership of the local

00:58:27.809 --> 00:58:30.550
church. I am not afraid to preach the gospel

00:58:30.550 --> 00:58:34.230
that gets people saved. I am patient with the

00:58:34.230 --> 00:58:36.889
unbeliever to get them saved and see them grow.

00:58:37.130 --> 00:58:39.570
In the mighty name of Jesus, we'll affirm these

00:58:39.570 --> 00:59:03.090
words. Amen and amen. Thank you so much. If today's

00:59:03.090 --> 00:59:05.829
message was a blessing, share it with a friend.

00:59:06.210 --> 00:59:08.409
Till next time, be blessed.