Welcome to NECF sermons. Each message here is
designed to uplift and strengthen you in your
walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until
the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive
right in. Now I want to encourage you that when
you come to church, whenever you come to church,
Be a participant of what is happening in church.
Don't just be a spectator, but be what? Be a
participant. Participate. If we say we are praying,
ensure that you are praying. If we are singing,
ensure you are singing. If we are dancing, ensure
that you are dancing. Hallelujah. It's unfortunate
that even those that were leading us in worship,
some of them stand so uninterested in what is
happening here. So worship team, please, if anybody
is not interested in participating in what is
happening here, there's no need for the person
to climb up here. Alright? Because if we stand
here, we are singing, we are dancing. And you
that are supposed to lead us is not dancing.
We encourage you to go and sit. Whatever we do
here is very, very important. There's no part
of this service that is a joke. All right? When
we are coming here, let's maintain the discipline.
You see, the reason why many of us, we keep on
coming to church. and will not see any effect
in your life is because of the mindset you carry
to come to this place. So casual, so uninterested.
The mindset you came into this place with determines
what you will learn and how your life will be
impacted. So coming to church, I want to encourage
you to be prepared. You have your phones all
through the week. You have your phones after
the church service. There is no amount of money.
If you are doing business or anything that you
lose in the course of this service. If you put
your phone on fly mode or silent. There is no
any emergency. It will require your attention.
You're not working with the fire service, are
you? Neither are you working with the ambulance.
So please, I want you to be encouraged that when
you come to church, it's an important moment.
It's an important moment for your life to be
blessed. It's an important moment for you to...
To hear God speak to you. Sometimes in the course
of the service, God will be speaking to you.
Not necessarily during the sermon, sometimes.
So please, I want us to change our attitude so
that every opportunity we have, the cell meetings,
in the midweek services, on the Sunday services,
they will benefit, will enjoy the best of what
God is doing in their house. Hallelujah. Colossians
chapter 1, verse 9. Colossians chapter 1, verse
9. For this reason, we also, since the day we
heard it, do not cease to pray for you. and to
ask that you may be filled with the knowledge
of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,
that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing
him, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing
in the knowledge of God. strengthened with all
might according to his glorious power, for all
patience and longsuffering with joy, giving thanks
to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers
of the inheritance of the saints in light. He
has delivered us from the power of darkness and
conveyed us Into the kingdom of his love. Of
his son in love. In whom we have redemption.
Through his blood. The forgiveness of our sins.
Hallelujah. And also 1st Peter chapter 2 verse
9. 1st Peter chapter 2. Verse 9 and verse 10.
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, his own special people, that you
may proclaim the praises of him who called you
out of darkness into his marvelous light. Who
once were not a people, but are now the people
of God. Who had not obtained mercy, but now have
obtained mercy. Hallelujah. Once upon a time,
we were dead in our trespasses. Once upon a time,
we were under the dominion of sin. Once upon
a time, we were under captivity. And we see God
deliver us from that through what Jesus Christ
has done on the cross of Calvary. We see Jesus
dying on the cross for us. And by our faith in
what he has done, we receive life. Hallelujah.
We receive life and we are eternally safe. And
we say that we have a heritage, we have an inheritance.
We are partakers of the inheritance of those
who are safe. And the inheritance we have comes
with responsibility. And the responsibility we
have is what we've been talking about, the responsibility
of proclaiming the gospel. So every believer
is assigned to proclaim the gospel. Every believer
has the tax. of preaching the gospel. And we
saw previously that God plans to fill the earth
with the knowledge of his will. It is a desire
of God that all the earth know him. It is a desire
that all men should be saved. It is God's desire
that the salvation message be preached to every
man on earth. But this work of saving men is
done by God but through men. Hallelujah. For
you as an individual, how you received the gospel
was through men preaching to you. How you became
a Christian or how you became a believer is through
men preaching the gospel to you. How the message
was preserved right from the time of Jesus Christ
till now is through the activities of men, through
the responsibility of men. To be saved means
to be chosen and given a life of purpose. And
our purpose is a purpose of priesthood, to proclaim,
to preach the gospel. And we said earlier on
that God's will for his people rather for God's
will for his kingdom of priests on earth is to
ensure that the gospel is preached. Now we've
emphasized in scriptures over and over and over
again. Let's turn to Acts chapter 8. We start
from Acts chapter 8. Acts chapter 8 verse 26.
God's plan on earth is to be carried out by men.
Hallelujah. You and I are participants in what
God is doing on earth. Acts 8, verse 26. I want
us to go back to that story we saw on Wednesday.
Acts 8. Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip,
saying, Arise and go towards south, a long road
which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This
is desert. So he arose and went, and behold,
a man of Ethiopia. A eunuch of great authority
under Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians, who
had charge of all her treasury and had come to
Jerusalem to worship, was returning and sitting
in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet.
And when the spirit said, then the spirit rather
said to Philip, go near and overtake his chariot,
this chariot. So Philip ran to him and heard
him reading the prophet Isaiah and said, Do you
understand what you are reading? And he said,
How can I understand? How can I? Unless someone
guides me. And he asked Philip to come up and
sit with him. The place in the scripture which
he read was this. He was led as a sheep to the
slaughter. And as a lamb before his shearer is
silent, so he opened not his mouth. In his humiliation,
his justice was taken away. And who will declare
his generation? For his life is taken from the
earth. So the Enoch answered Philip and said,
I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this?
of himself or someone, some other man. Then Philip
opened his mouth and beginning at this scripture,
preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down
the road, they came to some water and the Enoch
said, see, here is water. What hinders me from
being baptized? Then Philip said, if you believe
in all your heart, you may. And he answered and
said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son
of God. So he commanded the chariot to stand
still and both Philip and Enoch went down into
the water and he baptized him. Hallelujah. And
I want us to take note in a text right from the
verse 26 that the angel spoke to Philip. that
Philip received the instruction from an angel.
And we're trying to establish that angels have
not been delegated with the responsibility of
preaching the gospel. Because if angels have
the privilege that we share as men to preach
the gospel, then there wouldn't be need for men.
The angel wouldn't ask Philip to go to the Ethiopian
Enoch. He would have gone there himself to preach
the gospel. But we see that the angel of the
Lord spoke to Philip saying, Arise and go to
the south along the road down from Jerusalem
to Gaza. And we see Philip moving in obedience.
And we also see the place where the Spirit also
speaks to Philip. In verse 29, the Spirit of
God spoke to Philip. Then the Spirit said to
Philip, go near and overtake his chariot. The
angel was speaking. The Spirit of God was speaking.
And we see Philip as a party to what God is doing.
Hallelujah. Why didn't the Spirit speak to the
man? Why didn't the Spirit give him interpretation
of what he was reading? Why didn't the Spirit
of God... minister from where he was reading
to him. We are part of what God is doing on earth.
Hallelujah. The believer is essential to what
God is doing on earth. Pastor was telling us
before that God uses men for our salvation and
the devil also uses men. Hallelujah. God uses
men and the devil also is interested in men as
well. So we see the angelic being participating.
We see the Holy Spirit participating and we see
Philip participating. Everyone has his role.
The role that we've been given is to preach.
Hallelujah. As we speak, the Spirit of God goes
a long way in convicting the heart of men. Now
you don't have the role of convicting men of
sin. You must understand where your responsibility
is and the parameter of your responsibility as
a believer. As you preach, as you preach, and
you allow the Spirit of God to do the work of
conviction and convincing men about the truth
concerning Jesus Christ. So we see how God works
through men in the spirit of the gospel. Also
the statement of the Ethiopian in verse 31. He
said, how can I understand unless someone guides
me? And he asked Philip to come up and sit with
him. The understanding of scripture comes by
explanation of men. Which means that for you
to understand scripture, you must be taught by
men. Hallelujah. There's no special revelation
that you can ever get in scriptures that have
not been revealed to men. There's no new information
that God is sharing that only you is a custodian
of. For you to come to the accurate knowledge
of scripture and to know the will of God, there's
a place of men that must expose you to the truth
of God's word. So this further emphasizes the
need for men in the work of ministry. We don't
learn on our own, but through the ministry of
men. So God's will is to bring about salvation
to men. But this can only happen through the
activities of men. And we saw another example
in Acts chapter 10. Let's go to Acts chapter
10 and see the other example we saw on Wednesday.
Acts chapter 10 verse 1. We see similar pattern.
There was a man in Caesarea called Cornelius,
a centurion of what was called the Italian regiment.
a devout man who feared God with all his household,
who gave alms generously to the people and prayed
to God always. About the ninth hour of the day,
he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming
in and saying to him, Cornelius. And when he
observed him, he was afraid and said, What is
this? What is it, Lord? So he said to him, Your
prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial
before God. Now send men to Joppa and send for
Simon, whose name is Peter. He is lodged with
Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He
will tell you what you must do. And when the
angels who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius
called two of his household. household servants,
and a devout soldier from among those who waited
on him continually. So when he had explained
all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa.
Let's jump to verse 34. From verse 34. Then Peter,
when he had come, they brought Peter. Then Peter
opened his mouth and said, In truth, I perceive
that God shows no partiality. but in every nation
whoever fears him and works righteousness is
accepted by him. The word which God sent to the
children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus
Christ, he is Lord of all. That word you know,
which was proclaimed through all Judea and began
from Galilee after the baptism which John preached.
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with Holy
Spirit and with power who went about doing good
and healing all who were oppressed by the devil
for God was with him. And we are witnesses of
all things which he did both in the land of the
Jews and in Jerusalem whom they killed by hanging
on a tree. Him God raised up on the third day
and showed him openly, not to all people, but
to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us
who ate and drank with him after he arose from
the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the
people. and to testify that it is he who was
ordained by God to be the judge of the living
and the dead. And to him all the prophets witness
that through his name whoever believes in him
will receive remissions of sins. Hallelujah.
So we see also another situation in which the
angel of God that involve man in the establishment
of God's work, especially in this family. And
when we go down, we'll see how the Spirit of
God fell upon them, how, you know, they became
born again, and how they received the Spirit
of God, and they began to speak in tongues. So
this text is another example in which we see
God walking through a man to bring about the
knowledge of salvation to men. God has to send
an angel to communicate God's plan through Peter
so that the gospel will be proclaimed. So we
can conclude that we are born again and we have
received an inheritance and this heritage comes
with responsibility. This inheritance we receive
comes with the responsibility of proclaiming
Christ. So who are men? Who are the men who God
uses to proclaim his work? Who are the men that
God uses in proclaiming his work? Believers.
Hallelujah. Believers. You and I that are born
again are candidates. We are candidates for God's
work. We are what? We are candidates for God's
work on the earth. I intentionally say candidates.
Because it's not every man that is born again
that we see doing the work of God. In fact, it's
not every man that is born again that God can
even trust with his work. Amen? It's not every
man that God can trust with his work. God will
trust a man that is faithful. God will trust
a man that has shown. In fact, some people in
this church, we cannot even trust them with people.
Talk more of God. The moment we give you one
or two people to be under you, we are rest assured
that there will be problem. So God will effectively
carry out his work through men that have been
equipped for the work of ministry. Hallelujah.
The kind of men that God can commit the salvation
of souls to are men that have been equipped with
a tax of calendar responsibility. Through our
scriptures, we go through scriptures and we see
all the men that God has used. There is not just
man that is just unserious that God commit the
work of ministry to. It is believers who have
been equipped for the work of ministry. Salvation
is essential and a basic necessity. But much
more important is a training of the believer.
That's where I'm targeted at. Beyond just being
born again, the training of the believer is essential
to being effective in the work of ministry. It
is quite crucial for success in the work of ministry.
And the examples we just mentioned earlier on,
let's look at the example of Philip, the great
evangelist. We saw the great and the mighty work
he did. We saw how he was able to be used by
God to bring about salvation to the Ethiopian.
But who was Philip in the first place? Who was
Philip? Let's go back to that text we read in
Acts 8, verse 1. Let's see what Philip, the great
evangelist, says. Now Saul was consenting to
his death. At that time, a great persecution
arose against the church, which was at Jerusalem,
and they were all scattered throughout the region
of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. And
devout men carried Stephen to his burial and
made a great lamentation over him. As for Saul,
he made havoc of the church. entering every house
and dragging of men and women, committing them
to prison. Therefore those who were scattered
went everywhere preaching the word. And Philip,
then Philip went down to the city of Samaria
and preached Christ to them. And they multitude
with one accord hearing the things spoken by
Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles he did.
For unclean spirits crying with a loud voice
came out of many who were possessed. And many
who were paralyzed, lame were healed. And there
was great joy in the city. One man, there was
great joy in the city. But there was a certain
man called Simon who previously practiced sorcery
in a city and astonished the people of Samaria
claiming that he was someone great. to whom they
all gave heed from least to the greatest, saying,
This man is the great power of God. And they
heeded him, because he had astonished them with
sorceries for a long time. But when Peter appeared,
but when they believed Philip, as he preached
the things concerning the kingdom, of God and
the name of Jesus Christ. Both men and women
were baptized. Then Simon himself also believed.
And when he was baptized, he continued with Philip
and was amazed seeing the miracles and the signs
which were done by Philip. And on and on we see
how the Spirit of God picked him and then his
encounter with what? With the Ethiopian Enoch.
This is a man that has been committed with the
work of ministry. But then who was he? Who was
he first? Philip was not Philip the Great. He
started somewhere. Hallelujah. Learning under
the apostles in chapter 6. Let's go to chapter
6 of Acts. And see where he was coming from.
Acts chapter 6 from verse 1. Now in those days
when the number of disciples were multiplying,
there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by
the Hellenists because their widows were neglected
in the daily distribution. Then the twelve summoned
the multitude of the disciples and said, It is
not desirable that we should leave the Word of
God and serve tables. Not that serving tables
is bad or is inferior, but there's a huge responsibility
in doing the Word. Therefore, brethren, seek
out from among you seven men of good reputation,
full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may
appoint over this business. But we will give
ourselves continually to prayer and what? And
to the ministry of the word. And the same pleased
the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen,
a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit. And
also who? This same Philip that we saw was doing
the work of ministry, was casting out devils,
was healing the sick. was performing all the
miracles and the wonderful signs that he did
in the city, changing the course of the destinies
of men by the preaching of the gospel. But he
was a man that was, you know, was discipled and
raised by the apostles. Essentially, he was trained
by the teachings of the apostles. He was a man
that, you know, was raised and equipped for the
works and the exploits that we see him did in
the subsequent chapters. What about Peter himself?
Jesus called the other apostles and trained them
for the work of ministry. In Mark chapter 3,
from verse 13 to 15. Give me Mark chapter 3,
verse 13 to 15. Mark chapter 3, verse 13 to 15.
he himself wanted, and they came to him. And
he appointed twelve that they might be with him
and that he might send them out to preach. And
we'll see that from there, Jesus spent several,
almost three and a half years with them, teaching
them, discipling them, raising them, and equipping
them for the work of ministry. Even at his resurrection,
he spent quality time with them, discipling them
and teaching them about what he has accomplished
in his death, his burial and his resurrection.
Hallelujah. Now I want us to see another example.
Acts chapter 20. Acts chapter 20. Acts chapter
20. We'll see another example here. Acts chapter
20 from verse 17. From Meletus he sent to Ephesus.
This is Paul. He sent to Ephesus and called for
the elders of the church. And when they had come
to him, he said to them, You know from the first
day that I came to Asia in what manner I always
live among you. serving the law with all humility,
with many tears and trials, which happened to
me by the plotting of the Jews. How I kept back
nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to
you and taught you publicly and from house to
house, testifying to the Jews and also to the
Greeks' repentance. towards God and faith towards
our Lord Jesus Christ. And see, now I go bound
in the Spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things
that will happen to me there, except that the
Holy Spirit testify in every city, saying that
chains and tribulations await me. But none of
these things move me, nor do I count my life
dear to myself. so that I may finish my race
with joy and the ministry which I received from
the Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of the
grace of God. And indeed now I know that you
all among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom
of God will see my face no more. Therefore, I
testify to you this day that I am innocent of
the blood of all men. For I have not shown to
declare to you the whole counsel of God. I have
not shown to declare to you the whole counsel
of God. Therefore, take heed to yourselves and
to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit
has made you overseers. So these men are overseers.
They are leaders of the church in Ephesus. is
enumerating to them his label in their lives.
How he labeled over them, how he invested into
their lives, how he was able to disciple and
raise them. the church of God which he purchased
with his own blood. For I know this, that after
my departure, savage wolves will come in among
you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves
men will rise up, speaking perverse things to
draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore
watch and remember that for three years... I
did not cease to wound everyone night and day
with tears. Hallelujah. And we'll see further
his admonition to these elders. These are elders.
These are leaders of the church. These are faithful
men that have the faithful responsibility of
upholding God's work, preaching the gospel, and
ministering unto the saints. But before they
became elders, who were they? Paul mentioned
in verse 31 that he has for three years labored
in training them. We can see this in chapter
19, previous chapter, chapter 19, especially
from verse 1. Chapter 19 from verse 1. And it
happened while Apollos was at Corinth that Paul,
having passed through... the upper regions, came
to Ephesus and finding some disciples, he said
to them, Did you receive the Holy Spirit when
you believed? So they said to him, We have not
so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.
Which means that if you've not heard about the
Holy Spirit, then you're not born again. We have
not so much heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.
Verse 3. And he said to them, Into what then
were you baptized? So they said to him, into
John's baptism. Then Paul said, John indeed baptized
with the baptism of repentance, saying to the
people that they should believe on him who will
come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. Then
when they heard this, they were baptized in the
name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid
hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them.
And they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Now
the men, they were about twelve in all. And he
went into the synagogues and spoke boldly for
three months, reasoning and persuading concerning
the things of the kingdom of God. Verse 9. But
when some were hardened and did not believe,
but spoke evil of the way before the multitude,
he departed from them and withdraw the disciples,
reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. He
withdrew with the disciples the tithe that he
made. The Bible says he was reasoning with them
daily in the school of Tyrannus. Verse 10, and
in this, continue for two years so that all who
dwell in Asia heard the word of God. Jesus, both
the Jews and the Greeks. Hallelujah. We see how
he labored in their lives. They didn't become
elders overnight. They were not counted faithful
overnight. They were not given the responsibility
over the church overnight. They were not given
the destiny of men overnight, but they were men.
They were labeled upon, were trained with disciples.
And we see the place of responsibility given
to them. So today, the church is God's training
ground for men who will do the work of ministry.
For us to do the will of God, the church is where
we are trained. And later on, we see in his epistles
to this same church, In Ephesians chapter 4 verse
1, Ephesians chapter 4 verse 1, when Paul was
writing an epistle to this same church, from
verse 1, let's read verse 1 to 13. It says, with
long -suffering, bearing with one another in
love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit
in the bond of peace. There is one body and one
Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of
your calling. One Lord, one faith, and one baptism.
One God and Father of all, who is above all and
through all in you. All. But to each one of us,
grace was given according to the measure of Christ's
gift. Therefore, he says, when he ascended on
high, he let captivity captive and gave gifts
to men. And what are these gifts? Now this, he
ascended, what does it mean that he also first
descended into the lower parts of the earth?
Verse 10. He who descended is also the one who
ascended far above all the heavens, that he might
fill all things. And he himself gave some to
be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists,
some pastors and teachers, for the equipping
of the saints, for the work of ministry, for
the divine of the body of Christ, till we all
come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge
of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure
of the statue of the fullness of Christ. that
we should no longer be children tossed to and
fro, carried about with every wind of doctrine
by a trickery of men, the chronic craftiness
of deceitful plotting. But speaking the truth
in love may grow up in all things into him who
is a head, even Christ. Hallelujah. So in the
resurrection of Jesus Christ, the church was
established. And we see that, At the establishment
of the church, Jesus gave gifts. In verse 11,
we see the apostles. We see the prophets. We
see the evangelists. We see the pastoral teachers.
Are the gifts to men. God gave these gifts to
men. In verse 12, we see the function of these
gifts. The equipping of the saints for the work
of ministry. The equipping of the saints for
the work of ministry. Every saint has the work
of ministry. Every believer is called into ministry.
The call of God upon your life is a call into
ministry. The call of salvation is a call of
ministry. And then we see the gift of men unto
men for the equipping of the saints for this
work of ministry. The God of Christ's gift to
the church is a knowledge of the Son of God in
verse 14. Give me verse 14. That we will grow
up in knowledge. That we should no longer be
children tossed to and fro and carried about
every wind of doctrine by the trickling of men.
This is verse 14, verse 13. Yes. Yes. Till we
all come to the unity of faith. And of the knowledge,
this unity of faith is actually knowledge of
the Son of God to a perfect man, to the measure
of the statue of the fullness of Christ. And
this is done through the teaching that we receive
in church, through the admonition, through the
guidance, through the instruction, through the
rebuke and the edification we receive in church.
This is a vision of the church, raising disciples
for the transformation of the world through the
gospel. And this is what we as NEC have committed
to doing. Hallelujah. So what we want to see
happen is that God's divine project on earth,
God's plan of saving men come to pass. And you
and I are partakers of this work. And through
the instrument of the church, we are trained
and equipped for this work. We are trained and
equipped for this work. And even as we prepare
ourselves for this coming cataclysm, it is our
responsibility to avail ourselves. Hallelujah.
It is our responsibility to do what? To avail
ourselves, to make ourselves available for God
to equip us so that we will be able to know His
will. Not only that we are going to know His
will, we will know His work. And that you and
I will be able to carry his work effectively.
What should be our response to God's plan for
equipping us? What should be our response for
his plan to prepare us? For his plan for our
equipping? First and foremost is to be available.
Hallelujah. Is to be what? Is to be available.
Whenever you skip church, Whenever you skip every
meeting organized by the church, you are absconding
yourself from the responsibility of God. There's
no how you will be effective in the plan of God
when you're not part of the training of the people
of God. It is impossible for you to not just,
not just to shut up. Some of us shut up casually.
Know that every meeting is an opportunity for
God to encounter you with his word. It's an opportunity
for God to equip you with knowledge. For an opportunity
for you to know God. What he has done. What he
has achieved. It's an opportunity for you to
be perfected in that knowledge. So that you can
be an effective minister of the word. The meetings
we organize here in church is not for entertainment.
The meeting we organize is not because we want
to socialize. There are different ways we can
socialize. We can socialize in the restaurant.
We can choose to socialize at the beach. Anywhere.
But church is a place where God commits the truth.
concerning what he has done unto men. So first
and foremost, our response is availability. We
have to make ourselves available and submit to
God's plan for our equipping so that we can be
prepared for God's work, so that we can be equipped
and furnished for every good work. And as we
are available, we pay attention to what God is
doing. As we make ourselves available, we don't
just show up so that we tick all the boxes. No.
We are here with an intention in our hearts.
We are here with an expectation. We are here
with an expectation that at the end of this period,
we will see this result in our lives. And the
result we will see in our lives is good works.
Hallelujah. So that... The priesthood responsibility
will be effectively done by men that have been
called into that priesthood. When the children
of Israel rejected the gospel and God decided
to establish a priesthood through the lineage
of Aaron, you remember what happened to his sons?
What happened to them? There was a codified,
there was an arrangement, there was a curriculum,
I would say curriculum, of how every single activity
in the tabernacle should be carried out. Alright?
Moses has instructed them. Moses has taught them,
this is how you do this, this is how you do that.
But I want to speculate. That when Moses was
doing that training, some of them were sleeping.
I may even speculate that when he was doing that
training, they were not taking notes. Because
if you look at how plenty that instruction is,
you need high level of attention and what? And
carefulness to do specifically, exactly the instruction
that was given. First show to do the assignment,
they offer strange fire. And they died. Hallelujah.
Now, it's not God's plan for you to die, right?
But listen, for you to be qualified, for you
to be trusted with lives, it's essential that
you avail yourself and submit to God's way of
building men. And you're not just here because
you want to take a box of beans in a gathering.
You want to belong because you're a Christian.
You just want to come because it's a social gathering
where you see faces. You know, you see some sisters
and some brothers. Or you want to show there's
a new cloth you bought in the course of the week.
No. It's an opportunity for God to teach us His
worth. And it is main. He doesn't mean to correct
us. In the church of God, there's correction.
In the church of God, there's direction. In the
church of God, there is change of mindset by
the word of God. Transformation of the mind by
the word of God. And what should be our response?
We make ourselves available and we submit. Hebrews
chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10 verse 24. Hebrews
10 verse 24 says, And let us consider one another
in order to stay up love and good works. See,
if you are not around, how can we stay up love?
How can we see good works from your life? How
can we stay up good works in your life? Look
at the next verse, verse 25. Not forsaking what?
The assembling of yourself together. Because
it is in the assembling of yourself together
that we see this stir up in our hearts. Not forsaking
the assembling of ourselves together as it is
the manner of some. Which means that in this
church there are some that we are absconding
from midweek services. There are some that we
are absconding from team meetings. Alright? They
will abscond from midweek services. They say
cathartismos, they will not show up. But they
are the chosen generation. They are the priesthood.
Oh, my identity in Christ. You don't know anything
yet. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves
together as it is the manner of some. but what
exalting one another and so much more as you
see the day approaching. We make ourselves available
and we submit ourselves to God's plan for our
equipping. Hebrews 13 verse 16 13 verse 16 Do
not forget To do good and to share for which
such sacrifices God is well pleased. Obey those
who rule over you and be submissive. For they
watch over me that's him. Okay. For they watch
out for your souls as those who must give account.
Let them do so with what? With joy and not with
grief. That will be unprofitable for you. In
a sense that your life will not yield any result.
That is unprofitability. You will not be perfected
for good works. That is unprofitability. You
will not be equipped for every good work. That
is unprofitability. When you don't submit, first
of all, let me tell you, the first place to submit
under authority is to believe. That is the first
step, believe. Believe the word. Mix the word
with faith. Don't be rebellious as those in the
wilderness. Believe the word that you've been
taught. Commit yourself to the word that you've
been taught. What should be our response? To
be thoroughly equipped and made perfect in the
knowledge of the Son of God, we must continue
in what? In what we are learning. We must continue
in what we learn and what we are learning. 2
Timothy 3, verse 10. 2 Timothy 3, verse 10. It
says, but you have carefully followed my doctrine.
This is Paul speaking to Timothy. A young minister.
But you have carefully followed my doctrine.
My manner of life, my purpose, my faith, my long
-suffering, love and perseverance, persecutions
and afflictions which happened to me at Antioch,
at Iconium, at Lystra, what persecutions I endured,
and out of them all the Lord deliver me. Yes,
and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus
will what? Will suffer persecution. But evil
men and impostors will grow worse and worse,
deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue
in the things which you have learned and been
assured of, knowing from whom you have learned
them, and that from a child you have known the
Holy Scripture. which are able to make you wise
for salvation through faith, which is in Christ
Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration
of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
That the man of God may be completely thoroughly
equipped for every good work. That the man will
be what? Will be thoroughly equipped, will be
prepared, will make perfect. For the work of
ministry, for this to happen, you must continue.
Your intention, every single moment you are taught,
is that you continue in that thing that you've
been taught. James 1 verse 22 will talk about,
you know, looking into the perfect law of liberty
and continuing it. This is a man that will prosper.
This is a man that will see you succeeding. Verse
22. We see the prosperity of God's work in your
hand when you continue in what you learn. Be
doers of the word and not hearers only. Deceiving
yourselves. Whenever you are taught, look at
how do I apply this? How does this word address
me? As you continue learning the word, you preach
the word. Hallelujah. Our response is that we
learn, we make ourselves available, we submit,
we continue to learn, we keep learning, and we
what? We preach. 2 Timothy 4 verse 15. We what?
We preach. We preach the word. Hallelujah. So
with this admonition this morning, I just want
you to just commit yourself that this season
that we are looking forward to spending time
in God's Word, we are looking forward to spending
time, you know, in the believers' meeting. Listen,
this is an admonition for us. Today is just to
admonish us, to encourage us, to make us see
the importance of what we are doing in church.
It's for us to see the importance of what God
is doing in church. Don't take the opportunity
for granted. Have expectation of seeing God shape
your life by the teaching of God's word. Have
an expectation of seeing your mind transformed
by the word of God. Have an expectation of seeing
God work through you to be a blessing to others.
Have an expectation of seeing God... multiplying
the work of ministry in your hand. Have an expectation
of receiving specific instruction concerning
the work of God in your life. Why? Because you
are a participant in what God is doing on earth.
If there is anything we will not get tired of
telling you in this church, is that you are a
participant in what God is doing. You are saved
for a purpose. You are a minister of the gospel.
And this is your training ground. And we'll continue
to work tirelessly to ensure that we see this
manifest in your life. Speak to God. Close your
eyes and speak to God. Ask God to help you to
be committed. That you're not only a hearer of
the word, but that you are submissive, you are
available, you are submissive to the world. That
you participate in what God is doing, that you're
not just a bystander. You only watch and see
people do. But you take your rightful place as
a son. That you take your rightful place as a
son that has inheritance in the Father. And this
inheritance comes with this honorable responsibility
we have. So speak to God, speak to God. Please,
make sure you are praying. Participate and pray
for yourself. That with this encouragement we
receive today, that we have this perspective
right, that we have this orientation right, that
we have this understanding right. Thank you,
Heavenly Father, that you are preparing us in
this season. As we walk through this season of...
the Believers Conference, that we see your great
work established in our lives. As a church, we
will never remain the same. As individuals, we
will never remain the same. Thank you, Lord,
for pointing to us that you do your work through
us and that for us to stand qualified to do your
work, you train us. And in this season, we are
submissive to your training and to your work
for our lives. We appreciate you being here today.
We hope you carry this word with you throughout
your week. Don't forget to check the show notes
for additional insights. Stay connected with
us through our website or follow us on social
media. If you are encouraged, share this message
with someone you care about. Until next time,
stay blessed.