Hi there. Welcome to NECF. We're excited to share
today's message with you. Don't go anywhere.
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to enrich your faith. Here's today's sermon.
Amen. Hallelujah. Let's have our seat. You are
welcome in Jesus' name. Indeed, this is a wonderful
moment, and I'm so delighted, I'm so happy, you
know, for what God has begun. I'm so, so, so,
so expectant, and I'm full of expectation in
my heart. Hallelujah. Now, don't look down on
what God is doing here. Amen? Don't look down
on what God is doing here. Time will tell. The
kind of man and the kind of woman that you will
become when you make yourself available for God
to work on your life. When you make yourself
available for God to transform your life, it's
only time that will reveal the men and the women
that will become. So I want you to sit with an
understanding of Who you are. As a child of God.
I want you to sit. You know. Trusting God for.
What he will do. With our lives. Hallelujah.
God has a plan. And the plan of God. Include
us. We are part of God's plan. And I trust that,
you know, all that God will do in this conference,
from the beginning to the very end, is that we
will be efficient. We will be equipped. We'll
be prepared and equipped to participate in what
God is doing in our generation. Hallelujah. It's
a blessing to be in this place. And I want you
to be alert as well. As the meeting goes on,
there are things that God will be relating to
us. And there are specific instructions that
may come to you as a person. And I want you to
take note because every single part of this meeting
is important. So I want you to take note. Some
inspirations, some specific instructions will
be for you and you will be convicted in your
heart about what to do. Hallelujah. So please,
don't lose focus. Don't lose... Don't be absent
-minded. Don't be here and then your mind is
somewhere. Amen? Don't be here physically and
your mind is somewhere. Try and be here and then
participate in whatever we do, whatever instruction
will come that you obey. Amen. And for those
following us online, this is the day one, the
first session for the Catetismus 2025. And I
trust that as well, you also follow us duly and
enjoy every single thing that God is doing in
this season. Hallelujah. So I'll be just giving
us an opening, you know, and laying the foundation
for all that God will be doing in the course
of the conference. Everything that we'll be doing,
every ministration is connected. Hallelujah.
So whatever that, you know, I will lay the foundation
and even the next ministers that will come, just
know that it's a build -up one upon another.
Hallelujah. So in the end, we're going to see
how everything will unfold. So I want to encourage
you, please, to follow, you know, and be diligent.
Amen. So the theme for the conference is actually
manifesting the kingdom of God. Manifesting the
kingdom of God. And it's also the theme for the
year in the church. Manifesting the kingdom of
God. Manifesting the kingdom of God. Let's turn
to Matthew 16. Matthew chapter 16. Matthew 16.
And I will be reading from verse 13. Matthew
16 from verse 13. Now when Jesus came into the
region of Caesarea, Philippi, he asked his disciples,
who do men say I? the son of Manam. So they said,
some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and
others Jeremiah, one of the prophets. He said
to them, but who do you say I am? Simon Peter
answered and said, you are the Christ, the son
of the living God. Jesus answered and said to
him, blessed are you, Simon. But Jonah, for flesh
and blood has not revealed this to you, but my
father who is in heaven. And I also say to you
that you are Peter. And on this rock, I will
build my church. And the gates of Hades shall
not prevail against it. And I will give you the
keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatever you
bind on earth will be bound in heaven. And whatever
you lose on earth will be lost in heaven. Hallelujah.
So this is a text that will be... handling in
the course of the sessions that will be taken.
Hallelujah. Now, the background of this text,
for us to have a background of this text, we
have to collaborate it with other records in
the Gospels so that we can have the entire picture.
I want us to look at the record in Mark chapter
8, the same story, but in Mark chapter 8. Mark
also captured the same story. Mark chapter 8
verse 27. Mark chapter 8 verse 27. And Jesus
and his disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea,
Philippi. And on the road he asked his disciples
saying to them, who do men say I am? So they
answered, John. the Baptists, but some say Elijah,
and others, one of the prophets. He said to them,
but who do you say that I am? Peter answered
and said to him, you are the Christ. Then he
strictly warned them that they should tell no
one about him. I want us to move to Luke as well.
In the book of Luke, Luke chapter 9. We'll see
the same story as well recorded by Luke. Luke
chapter 9. Verse 18. And it happened as he was
alone praying. That his disciples joined him.
And he asked them saying. Who do the crowd say
I am? So they answered and said. John the Baptist.
But some say Elijah. And others say. That one
of the old prophets has risen again. Verse 20.
He said to them. But who do you say I am? Peter
answered and said. The Christ. of God. Hallelujah.
Now this is the same account of the same story.
Amen? But given by different writers of the Gospels.
Now for us to understand and have a complete
picture, to have a better picture of the entire
story, it's important for us to do, to corroborate
these scriptures together. Because without bringing
these scriptures together, our understanding
of the picture will be limited. Hallelujah. Oftentimes,
you know, people say, you know, the writers of
the gospel are contradicting each other. For
example, as we saw, you know, one said that Jesus
was coming from after Jesus finished prayer,
then they came to him. Another account saying
that they were on their way to somewhere. And
it seems sometimes that it's a contradiction,
isn't it? But, you know, it is important for
us to note that People give a different account
of the same event. Amen? For example, now if
I ask you to write a story, to write a report
of what happened in this hall this morning, everybody
has a goal in writing, isn't it? Everybody has
a specific audience that he's writing to. And
everybody has a perception and, you know, what
would I call it? He has his own inclination.
Our stories cannot be exactly the same. Your
report, the report that you write and the report
that another person will write, even though it's
of the same event, but probably the details that
you capture are different from the details that
another person will capture. So, for us to be
able to understand or to have a better understanding
of the entire context of what happened, we have
to put the stories together and corroborate them
as a puzzle. Hallelujah. So also in the law,
in the court of law, you know, when there's an
event that is an event that happened and then
we bring in witnesses to testify of the same
event. If witness A and witness B, witness C
said exactly the same thing without any form
of any variation at all, right? Then It's okay
for us to be suspicious that maybe this testimony
is a doctor testimony. If not, why would you
say exactly the same thing, the same language,
the same tenses, the same expression and everything.
It means that probably you've been coached to
give an account and there's a possibility that
this record of the testimonies you give may not
be accurate. Hallelujah. But then the beauty
of scripture, especially but we have different
records, especially in the gospel, is that when
we're able to put the entire picture together,
we're able to, you know, collaborate these stories
together, it helps us in understanding the entire
picture of the conversation in that particular
text. So, when we look at the pretext in Luke,
especially from chapter 1, Luke chapter 9, Luke
chapter 9, it will give us a background. Of what
happened prior to this conversation. Luke chapter
9. Luke chapter 9. From verse 1. Let me read
from verse 1. Then he called his 12 disciples
together. And gave them power. And authority
over all demons. And to cure diseases. He sent
them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal
the sick. And he said to them, take nothing for
the journey. Neither staff, no money, and do
not have two tonics apiece. Whatever house you
enter, stay there. And from there, depart. And
whoever will not receive you when you go out
of that city, shake off. The very dust from your
feet. As a testimony against them. So they departed.
And went through the towns. And what were they
doing? Preaching the gospel. And healing everywhere.
Now Herod. Herod the Tetrarch. Heard of all that
was done by him. And he was perplexed. Because
it was said. By some. There was a rumor in town.
It was said by some that John had risen from
the dead. That John has risen from the dead.
Verse 8. And by some Elijah had appeared and
by some that one of the all prophets has risen
again. Herod said John I have beheaded. But who
is this of whom I hear such things? So he sought
to see Jesus. He sought to see him. Verse 10.
And the apostles, when they had returned, told
him all that they had done. Then he took them
and went aside privately into a desert place.
belonging to the city called Bethsaida. But when
the multitudes knew it, they followed him and
he received them and spoke to them about the
kingdom of God and healed those who had need
of healing. When they had begun to weigh away,
the twelve came and said to him, send the multitudes
away that they may go into The surrounding towns
and country. And lodge and get provisions. For
we are in a desert place. But he said to them.
You give them something to eat. And they said.
We have no more than five loaves and two fish.
Unless we go and buy food for all these people.
For there were about 5 ,000 men. Then he said
to his disciples, make them sit down in groups
of 50. And they did so and made them all sit
down. Then he took the five loaves and the two
fish and looking up to heaven, he blessed and
brought them and gave them to the disciples to
set before the multitude. They all ate. And were
filled. And a 12 basket. And 12. And a basket
of the. Okay. So they all ate. And were filled.
And 12 baskets of the leftover fragments. Were
taken up by them. Hallelujah. So this is the
context. Of. Where we read previously in Matthew
16. So from Luke. From verse 1 to 5, we see that
Jesus has sent out the twelve to go and preach.
And what they are to preach is the kingdom of
God and to heal the sick. He sent them to preach
the kingdom of God, verse 2. Luke chapter 9,
verse 2. He says he sent them to go to preach
the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. To preach
the kingdom. To proclaim the kingdom. To announce
the kingdom of God. To proclaim the kingdom of
God. And also to do what? To heal the sick. There
is an association. Between preaching of the gospel.
Of the kingdom. And healing of the sick. And
healing of the sick. Verse 6. We see. The disciples
departed in obedience and going into the towns
and preaching the gospel and doing what? And
exactly doing what he asked them to do. So they
departed and went through the towns preaching
the gospel on the basis of the authority of Jesus
Christ. Preaching the gospel and we see the healing
of the sick. Hallelujah. Now, it's important
to note that Jesus sent out disciples. Okay?
Not just random people from the crowd. Not just
some of the people that he fed among the 5 ,000.
It's not everybody that he sent out to do or
to preach. Jesus was very peculiar about the
people that he sent. And these are the people
that he has given them authority. Verse 1 says,
he gave them power and he gave them power and
authority over all demons and to cure diseases.
Not just random people from the crowd, but specifically
disciples. Disciples are those who have been
qualified to do what? To go and to preach the
gospel of the kingdom. Now for us to be qualified
as well, to preach the gospel of the kingdom,
we must in the same way be disciples. It takes
only disciples to do the work of ministry. If
you are not a disciple of Jesus Christ, doing
ministry will be difficult. It is impossible
to do the will of God. If we are not, you know,
yielded to discipleship. And discipleship is
not just like school that we go to for a period
of time and then we graduate. No. We must be
lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ. That we are,
you know, students that are yielded to learning
the things of God, learning the ways of God,
and doing the things that God is leading us per
time, per season to do. So you must be a disciple
in order to do the work of God. A disciple is
someone who is devoted to learning the word of
God. A disciple is someone that is committed
to not just glancing through, not just reading
for reading's sake, but the devotion of a disciple
is to learn of the master. And we see power and
authority. Power and authority come from the
place of instruction from the word of God. It
takes a man and a woman that has been with God,
that is staying with God, that is learning from
God, that will receive specific instruction and
the authority to do the work of ministry. It
is important for us to see also that miracles
and healings are essential and a mandatory part
of doing the work of ministry. Jesus Christ sent
them to preach, and not only to preach, but to
demonstrate the preaching of the gospel, to demonstrate
the preaching of the kingdom with accompanying
signs, especially healing. Healing of the sick.
Miracles were performed by them. And also, you
know, healing of the sick. So, also know that
their ministry, the ministry of the apostles
or the disciples here is a pre -resurrection
ministry, isn't it? Jesus Christ has not yet
died and he has not yet risen. But then, by virtue
of He's been with them. He gave them authority
to do what? To preach. Yet, they preach the message.
They preach the message. They announce the message
of the kingdom with signs and wonders following.
So if men that we can, that they never had, you
know, the indwelling of the spirit of God in
them could preach the gospel, right? They could
go and preach about the kingdom of God. In announcing
the kingdom of God, in proclaiming the kingdom
of God, we see signs and wonders accompanying.
What of us who have the spirit indwelling in
us? Amen? How about you and I that are living
in the reality of the kingdom? It means that
as we as well preach the gospel, it is expected
that we see demonstration. If you read through
in the... In Mark, you know, Mark chapter, give
me Mark chapter 16, from verse 16. We see the
instruction that Jesus will later give after
his resurrection. It says, he who believes and
is baptized will be saved. But he who does not
believe will be condemned. And these signs shall
do what? Shall follow those who believe. So signs.
Shall follow those who believe. As we go about
preaching the gospel. As we go about announcing
the gospel of the kingdom. Or announcing the
kingdom of God. Signs will accompany. The work
of preaching the gospel. In my name they will
cast out demons. They will speak with new tongues.
They will take up serpents. And if they drink
anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them.
They will lay hands on the sick. And what will
happen to the sick? And the sick will recover.
Hallelujah. Now this is after his resurrection.
And this is a mandate to all of us. That what
God is doing here is that he is preparing us
for this kind of ministry. Amen. God is preparing
you. He is preparing me for this kind of ministry.
And in the course of this meeting, in the course
of this cataclysm from now until Saturday, what
God will be doing in our lives is that he will
be revealing his finished work in our lives.
He will be revealing to us what he has accomplished.
He will be revealing to us, you know, the finished
work that he has done in us. We will realize
who we are. Hallelujah. We realize who we are.
We realize what he has done. And in it, we know
our responsibility. We will know the authority
that we carry as ministers of God. Amen? So God
is counting on you. He's counting on us to do
what? To carry on the ministry of preaching the
gospel of the kingdom of God. Hallelujah. So
in Luke chapter 9, verse 7 to 9, you know, we
see a lot of rumors going around. It gives us
the rumors in town, what people are saying concerning
who Jesus is. Let's go back to Luke chapter 9.
Luke chapter 9. What were people saying about
Jesus? People have different perception of Jesus.
Now Herod the Tetrarch heard of all that was
done by him. By who? By Jesus. And also of course
what the disciples were doing. And he was perplexed.
Because it was said by some that John had risen
from the dead. How come they are thinking that
John has risen from the dead? Is there any explanation
in scriptures that John will die and rise again?
But these are the rumors in town about. What
is happening? And by some, that Elijah had appeared.
And by some others, that one of the prophets
had risen again. So all these were speculations
about who, about who Jesus is or about what has
happened. And it's important for us to not these
speculations because we'll go back, you know,
to look at it later on. We also see in verse
10 to 17, verse 10 to 17 of that same Luke, you
know, the apostles, and in this context here,
including Judas. Hallelujah. Judas was part of
the 12. It means that Judas Iscariot went out
with them and possibly do all that they did.
He proclaimed about the kingdom. He preached
about the kingdom. All right? Signs and wonders
were done. All right? Amen? Are we here? All
right. Verse 10 to 17. And the apostles, when
they had returned, what was their testimonies?
They told him all that they had done. They reported
to him and said, this is what we did. Then he
took them and went aside privately into a deserted
place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.
But when the multitude followed him and he received
them and spoke to them, the multitude gathered
again. And what did he do? We see him also doing
what? He spoke to them about what? About the
kingdom of God. Now, we're not even specifically
looking at the preaching that he did, but we
are so sure that what he spoke to them, or the
teaching he taught them, the preaching Jesus
taught them, is about what? It's about the kingdom
of who? Of God. And what did he do? He healed
those who had need of healing. What is really
the relationship between healing and the kingdom
of God? What is really the relationship between
healing and the kingdom of God? We will see that
in the course of this meeting. Then they began
to weigh away. The twelve came and said to him,
send the multitude away that they may go into
the surrounding towns and country and lodge.
And get provisions for we are in a deserted place.
But he said to them, you give them something
to eat. You know, this is a teaching experience.
He said, you give them something to eat. And
he said, we have no more than five loaves and
two fish. Unless we go and buy food for all these
people. For there were about 5 ,000 men. 5 ,000
men. And we know, you know, theologians have
told us that in census, during those times, that
when they do census, you know, they only count
men, right? Adult men. They don't count children.
They don't count women. They count men. Then
he said to his disciples, make them sit down
in groups of 50. And they did so. And made all
sit down. Then he took the five loaves. And the
two fishes. And looking up to heaven. He blessed.
And broke them. And gave them to the disciples.
The disciples are the ones that were. Responsible
for what? For serving the multitude. For serving
the multitude. All these things are very, very
important. Listen, there is no miracle that is
recorded in scriptures that is just casual. Every
miracle, every parable, every teaching is pointing
toward to something that Jesus will do in his
resurrection. Hallelujah. So whenever we go through
stories in the scriptures, let's be very keen.
These were not just recorded for us for just
entertainment, no. Every single record of Jesus'
miracles, of his teachings are important in revealing
what he will do in the resurrection. Hallelujah.
So, when the crowd followed them, Jesus received
them and what did he do? We saw that he spoke
to them about the kingdom of God and he healed
the sick. He further performed the miracle of
what? Of feeding the multitude. He healed the
sick and then he fed the multitude. The preaching
of the gospel I said, we see in Jesus' ministry.
All true. was accompanied by healings, by signs
and wonders. Now, since we have also received
the same ministry in the resurrection, we must
also manifest the kingdom of God in the same
way he did, healing the sick and working in signs
and wonders. As we often say in church, you know,
we are prophets, we are kings. All that we are,
we occupy the office of Jesus Christ. By identification,
by believing in Jesus Christ, we do what? We
come into the office of Jesus Christ. Amen? So
it is expected that whatever he, because Jesus
is the same yesterday, isn't it? He's the same
yesterday. He's the same today. And forever he
will be who he is. And this same Jesus Christ
is the one that lives in us. Hallelujah. He lives
in you, he lives in us. So if we are carrying
on the ministry of Jesus Christ, if we are carrying
on to do the works that he did while he was on
earth, even the apostles, they were, will classify
them as not born again in the context of where
we are today. In doing the works of ministry,
in preaching the gospel, they walked in signs
and wonders. It is also important for us that
are in the reality of what Christ has done. To
do what? To see this manifest in our ministry.
In our ministry. It is expected of us. Hallelujah.
Because that is what the preaching of the gospel
entails. As we go, signs and wonders ensure the
preaching. Of the gospel. Afterwards we will
see Jesus Christ. You know. Questioning them
in verse 18 to 20. Asking them. About who. Do
men say he is. Now let's go back to Matthew.
Matthew chapter 6. Matthew chapter 6. Matthew
chapter 6 from verse 13. When Jesus came into
the region of Caesarea Philippi. He asked his
disciples saying. who do men say that I, the
son of man, am? Now, Jesus was not just asking
these questions to know. All right? He wasn't
asking this question because he doesn't know
who he is. Maybe his identity crisis. He wanted
to be sure whether, you know, who he is. No.
He wasn't asking this question to build an image
for himself. You know, one of the common, you
know, things that, from where I come from, from
the part of the world I came from, you know,
one of the common phrases we use in intimidating
people is, do you know who I am? Or who are you?
Do you know who I am? And all this, you know,
is just showcase, you know, or try to build an
image, an ego for ourselves. No, no, no. Jesus
Christ was not trying to, you know, Inquired
to know. He was not looking for. It was not a
desire for self validation. Of who he is. Who
will see subsequently. But every question. That
Jesus will ask. Is geared towards a teaching.
Hallelujah. Whenever we see questions. In scripture.
Let's be careful. Especially. You know, even
in Genesis, let's look at some instances in Genesis.
Genesis chapter 3 verse 9, where God appeared
to Adam. Genesis chapter 3 verse 9. Then the
Lord God called Adam and said to him, where are
you? Is it that God is not aware of where Adam
is? He's asking so that he will know where Adam
is. Is it that God is not all -knowing? He doesn't
know the location of Adam that he's asking Adam.
Adam, where are you? But rather we know that
the questioning is for what? It's for Adam to
realize. Isn't it? The focus of the question
is for Adam and it's not for God. Hallelujah.
And we'll see also another one in chapter 4 verse
9. When God was asking Cain. Chapter 4 verse
9. Then the Lord said to Cain, where is Abel
your brother? Is it that God does not know or
is not aware of what has happened to Cain, to
Abel? The all -knowing God, the all -sufficient
God, the God that knows everything. He says,
where is Abel your brother? He said, I do not
know. Am I my brother's keeper? Of course we
know that this is a lie, right? Hallelujah. And
then let's look at another one in the Gospels,
Matthew 22. Matthew 22, verse 41. Where Jesus
Christ was asking the Pharisees, because there
was a bit of a controversy about the identity
of Jesus. While the Pharisees were gathered together,
Jesus asked them, look at the way Jesus asked
them. He says, what do you think about the Christ?
Amen? What do you think about the Christ? Now,
it is important to know that the Pharisees, they
are scholars of the scripture. Alright? They
are scholars of the scripture, which means that
they know that in the scriptures, there is a
promise for the Christ. The scriptures have given
an explanation about the Christ. So Jesus was
asking them, he says, what do you think about
the Christ? Whose son is he? Whose son is he?
That is to say, what does the scripture teach
us about the Christ? And whose son does the scripture
say? That Christ, the Christ is an office. Now,
when we go to the Old Testament, what we call
the Old Testament scriptures, we'll discover
that there's a promise for a Christ. The Christ
is an office. Are we together? The Christ is
an office that someone will occupy. There was
a proclamation. There was a prophecy in scriptures
from Genesis to Malachi about the Christ. It's
a Christ. So Jesus is the Christ, right? As I
always say, the Christ, the word Christ is not
his surname, right? It is the office which he
occupies. The Christ. The Messiah. The one who
will do a function. And a function is a deliverance
of the people of God. Hallelujah. So he asks
them, he says, who does the scripture says? What
do you think, rather, about the Christ? Whose
son is he? And what was their response? They
said to him, the son of David. Of course, the
scripture says that the Christ will come through
the lineage of David. So Jesus was not asking
because he does not know that he is the Christ.
Oh, he wasn't asking because he wants to know.
Whose son is the Christ? No. But he was geared
towards revealing a truth. Amen? Towards revealing
a truth. Now, the next verse. He said to them,
how does David, how then does David in the spirit
call him Lord? Saying, the Lord said to my Lord.
Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies
your footstool. If David then calls him Lord,
how is he his son? How is the Christ the son
of David if David calls him his Lord? Amen? And
then no one was able to answer him a word. No,
from that day on, did anyone dare question him
anymore? Now, I want you to realize that these
Pharisees understood the implication of what
Jesus was saying. Amen? His question was revealing
to them something that they don't want to believe.
You know, they are fond of asking questions.
And most of the time, when they ask questions,
it's to put Jesus in a box, right? It's to set
a trap for him with a question. If a man dies
and he has a wife, and then he dies, and then
his brother marries his wife, and then another
marries, and then another marries, at the resurrection,
whose wife will she be? Foolish question. Jesus
would tell them, have you not read? Which means
that even the scriptures, you are scholars, but
that means you don't believe the scriptures that
you are reading. So oftentimes when they ask
questions, it's out of ignorance. It's out of
sheer foolishness. I mean the scribes and the
Pharisees, because they want to put Jesus in
a, they want to set a trap. But whenever we see
Jesus ask questions, it's because he wants to
reveal a truth. Hallelujah. So, physically or
humanly, we know that the Christ will come through
the lineage of David. And Jesus Christ is the
Christ. But Jesus Christ is not just a son of
David. He is God. Hallelujah. He is God himself.
Amen. And that was what he was revealing to them
that they were shying away from agreeing with.
And of course, his quotation is from Psalms 110
verse 1. So it was important for Jesus, especially
in Matthew 6, 13. It is important that those
who will preach the message of the kingdom of
God, the ministers of the message of the kingdom
of God, better understand who the message is.
Because the message is a person. Alright? The
message is what? The message is about a person.
The message is about a person. So when Jesus
was asking who do people say the son of man is,
the goal is to reveal to them who the son of
man is. Because Those who preach the message
of the kingdom of God should be able to know
who the message is. Now the testimonies of the
ministers of the kingdom of God must be different
from the testimonies of the crowd. Amen? It is
important for us, right, to have a different
testimony from the crowd. Our understanding of
who Jesus is cannot be rumors. As ministers of
God, our knowledge about Jesus Christ cannot
just be Google information. If our understanding
of who Jesus Christ is cannot just be charged,
you know, charged if he can give you anything.
Amen? Recently, is it last year, we're looking
at a church, is it in Germany or in France, where,
you know, they said, oh, right now in ministry
they can have an AI as their pastor. And then,
you know, I was just laughing. I saw the news
that people would just come to church and then,
you know, they would play and AI would give them
salmon. You know, we are in the age of technology.
See, there's something that technology can never
replace. You see, the preaching of the gospel,
it can never be replaced. Men can never... be
replaced when it comes to the preaching of the
gospel of Christ. If God could not use angels,
do you think that God is limited in technological
advancement? Do you think that God is not wise,
is not all -knowing from the foundation of the
world? He decided to trust you and I with the
salvation of men. In gospel land, it is men who
preach the gospel. Not machines, not angels,
but men. Hallelujah. So it is necessary that
we are very, very equipped with the knowledge
of what the message is because it is us who have
been redeemed. That have been qualified. Through
our relationship with God. Through discipleship.
In order to preach the message of the kingdom
of God. So our testimony. Must be different from
what we hear from the street. You know. Our opinion
about Jesus Christ. Cannot be the opinion. Of
what we see on social media. Some of us. The
formulation. of our ideologies about God is a
product of, you know, media. Media, rumor, what
is on the street. If you must be an efficient
minister of the word of God, you must go beyond
what you just hear on the street. Not people's
experiences. Even if it's experiences, we must
be able to know whether this is right or this
is wrong. Because what the people are saying
is not true about Jesus. He is not Elijah. He
is not one of the prophets. He is not John that
died and rose again. Amen? So you and I cannot
go and be preaching rumors about Jesus. Jesus
called himself what? Son of man. Who do men say
I, the son of man, am? What does son of man mean?
We'll look at it shortly. So in verse 14, Matthew
16, 14. So they said, some say John the Baptist.
Some say Elijah. And others Jeremiah. Or one
of the prophets. If I was Jesus. I would ask.
What did you tell them? What did you counter?
With the information you've been hearing. Or
they say Jesus is Jesus. What did you tell them?
I the son of man is. That is a mission. That
we've been called. To do. Alright? That is the
mission we've been called to do. To announce
who Jesus is to the world. And in announcing
Jesus, we reveal what he has done. Hallelujah.
So you cannot go and tell the world that Jesus
Christ is one of the prophets. Or, you know,
just like Mahatma Gandhi. You know, he's one
of those great men. Just like, who else? Nelson
Mandela in Africa. He was an emancipator of his
nation. He was sent to prison. Mandela did not
die. But this one, he was. No, no, no, no. We
must have an accurate knowledge of Jesus. If
we must present. Listen, brothers and sisters.
Our generation is a smart generation. Full of
information. That's what I mean by smart. There's
a lot of information around our generation. You
must be sophisticated in order to confront a
sophisticated generation with a message of the
gospel. This morning I was just going through
a media chat somewhere about someone gave a story
about Jesus Christ. It's a video. He was trying
to share the gospel. So I just went down to see
what people are saying. Somebody said that He
just wrote a comment. He said, why is it that
God will not just forgive sin? Why must someone
have to die? That this story is not adding up.
If Jesus will forgive, has the power to forgive
sin, if God has the power to forgive sin, why
must somebody die? Now, my brothers and sisters,
if you don't know how to give an answer to this,
and let me tell you, some of your questions are
genuine. Amen? Some of your questions are genuine
questions. So you and I are the ones that must
have the answers to those questions. For you,
you see this question as a foolish and a stupid
question. But these are genuine questions that
people have in their hearts. There's a brother
that is finding it difficult to agree that Jesus
Christ is God. Because he has listened to some
debates. He has listened to some arguments. intellectual
arguments about religion, about God, and then
he reached a point that he's doubting about the
divine nature of Christ. See, if we are not equipped
with knowledge, with understanding, that's what
we trust God to do in the course of this cataclysm,
that we will have the ability To do what? To
rightly present Christ to our generation. And
in presenting this Christ, listen, we must do
it in signs and wonders. Amen? We must do it
what? In demonstration of the Spirit of God.
That is why I kept emphasizing about the importance
of the miraculous. The importance of what? Of
healing. The importance of Of seeing the signs
following the preaching of the gospel. What difference
will be your preaching from a man that stands
to motivate and collect money and go? What makes
you different? Paul will say that I didn't come
to you with lovely speech. Because there are
others that will come with lovely speech. In
fact, some of them are more eloquent than us.
Have you ever seen a man trying to sell a course
online? The way they will present it, you don't
even know when you go and click, click bits,
right? You go and click to subscribe. Because
they know how to market it very well. And this
is the kind of generation we are confronting
with the message of the gospel. Hallelujah. Verse
14. Some say John. The Baptists, some say Elijah,
others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. Now
the disciples in their going out to preach, they
didn't just go from coast to coast, from one
angle to another, shouting, repent. But they
must have taught from the scriptures. Amen? They
must have what? Taught from the scriptures. Are
we together? For them to preach the gospel of
the kingdom, they must do what? Preach or teach
from the scriptures. And of course, we could
see that even in that generation, the people's
perception, even though it was flawed, let's
look at it clearly. Nevertheless, they mentioned
Elijah, they mentioned Jeremiah. mean that the
disciples probably may have preached from the
Holy Scriptures. And also the peoples were aware
of the Scriptures. We agree, right? That these
people, these people bringing out the rumors
about who Jesus is, they are probably aware of,
because the names they called were scriptural
names. Alright? They didn't call one of their
governors. They didn't say it's Herod. But they
mentioned the prophets. They mentioned, Elijah
they mentioned. So they have an idea of scriptures.
But it's not accurate. And why? These people
do not have faith in the scriptures. That's why
I'm headed. Because if these people have believed
the scriptures. They would have believed. The
message that the prophets spoke. Right? They
would have believed. The mission and the ministry
of the prophets they were mentioning, which means
they never had faith in the scriptures. Their
statements are a product of ignorance and unbelief.
Because if they had believed what the prophets
taught, especially John. John is the closest.
John is the closest because John is a contemporary
at that time. Of course, they didn't see Elijah.
They didn't see Jeremiah. But at least they saw
John the Baptist. And they would have known Jesus.
If they have believed John, what John taught,
they would have known who Jesus is and whom John
preached. Amen? They would have known who John
was preaching. What was the ministry of John?
The prophets all wrote about and taught about
Jesus. Luke chapter 24. Let's look at this. Luke
24. Verse 25. 27. Jesus at resurrection said
this. He says, then he said to them, all foolish
ones and slow of heart to believe all the prophets.
Which means that all the prophets that they mentioned,
they were speculating that it was Jesus. All
the prophets have spoken. What have they spoken?
Ought not the Christ, the Christ, to have suffered
these things and to enter his glory? And beginning
at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to
them in all the scriptures the things concerning
himself. That is to say, That the writings of
the prophets, the communication of the prophets,
all that the prophets were teaching, the function
that they did was to announce the coming Messiah.
Verse 44. Verse 44. Luke 24, 44. Then he said
to them, these are the words which I spoke to
you while I was still with you. that all these
things must be what? Must be accomplished, must
be fulfilled, which were written in the law of
Moses, the writings of Moses about Jesus and
the prophets and the Psalms concerning me. So
if these men that were bringing these rumors
about Jesus believe in the writings of the prophets,
They believed in what the prophets were teaching.
They wouldn't have a crisis in understanding
who Jesus Christ is. Hallelujah. This is important.
What about John? Who is their contemporary? The
entire ministry of John was about introducing
Jesus Christ. That means that they didn't believe
John. Let's look at John. John chapter 1 verse
19. It means that they didn't believe in the
ministry of John. They didn't believe in what
John was preaching. They know John to be a prophet.
Even the Pharisees knew that John was a prophet
of God. Now this is a testimony of John. When
a Jew sent a priest. This is a testimony of John.
This is the ministry of John. This is what John
did. This was the purpose of the ministry of
John. When the Jews sent priests and Levites
from Jerusalem to ask him, who are you? They
want to know who is he. Right? He confessed and
did not deny but confessed, I am not the Christ.
Because I told you earlier on, The nation of
Israel was expecting the Christ. And the Christ
is a man. Is a man. That will come as the redeemer
of Israel. To redeem Israel. To save Israel.
So they know that this person. Will function
in the teaching ministry. So they saw John. They
were guessing. Who are you? Are you the Christ?
He said no. What then are you? Are you Elijah?
He said, I am not Elijah. Are you the prophet?
That means the Christ will be the prophet, right?
And he answered, no. Then they said to him, who
are you that we may give an answer to those who
send us? What do you say about yourself? He said,
I am the voice of the one crying in the wilderness.
Make straight the way of the Lord. Which means
that this is in Isaiah. John was able to look
through the prophecies of Isaiah. And see his
role in the prophecy of Isaiah. And say, this
is who I am. This is who I represent. As the
prophet Isaiah said. Verse 24. Now, those who
were sent were from what? Pharisee. And they
asked him, saying, why then do you baptize if
you are not the Christ? Which means that the
Christ will do what? Will baptize. Now, I didn't
say baptize in water. But the Christ will have
a function to do. If you are not, why then do
you baptize if you are not the Christ? nor Elijah,
nor the prophet. John answered them saying, I
baptize with what? With water. But there stands
one among you whom you do not know. It is he
who coming after me is preferred before me. That
means he's greater than me, which is he has a
superior ministry than mine. Whose sandals traps
I am not worthy to lose. These things were done
in Bethabara, beyond the Jordan, where John was
sucking people in water, was baptizing with water.
Right? 28, 29. The next day, John saw Jesus coming.
And he said, behold the Lamb of God who takes
away the sin of the world. This is he of whom
I said, after me come a man who is preferred
before me. For he was before me. I did not know
him. But that he should be revealed to Israel.
So this is the... The context of John's ministry,
the revelation of the Christ, that he will point
to Israel and say, this is the one that the prophets
have been talking about. This is the one that
what? That Moses spoke about. This is the one
that the prophets wrote about. This is the one
that David even talked about. This is the one
that has, this is the one that the scripture
has been communicating about. I did not know
him myself. But that he should be revealed to
Israel. Therefore I came baptizing with water.
And John bore witness. He bore witness saying.
I saw the spirit descending from heaven like
a dove. And he remained upon him. And I did not
know him. But he who sent me to baptize with
water said to me. Upon whom you see the spirit
descending. And remaining on him. Is he. Who
baptizes. With what? With the Holy Spirit. And
I have seen. And do what? And testify that what?
That this is what? Is a son of God. That was
a summary of John's ministry. So. If these people.
knew who John was. It simply means that they
didn't believe in what John was doing. It simply
means that they didn't put faith in what John
was teaching, his explanation, his baptism, his
telling them to repent because the kingdom of
God has arrived. That was his message. That was
his teaching about shouting and compelling them
and rebuking them that they will repent. Repentance
simply means change your thought, change your
idea, change your mind because the kingdom of
God has arrived. The kingdom of God has arrived.
But they were not in faith. They didn't believe
what John was teaching. So, if you don't believe
the scripture, I can assure you that you will
never come to a place of what the revelation
of who God is. Because the knowledge of God,
first and foremost, is by faith. Amen? It's by
faith. That is why no matter how intellectually
sound a man is, if he does not come to the scripture
by faith, he cannot know God. The scriptures
is not known by the prowess of your understanding
of Hebrew as a language or Greek as a language.
It's by what? It's by believing what the scripture
says. You don't need Hebrew and Greek to know
God. Amen? There are people that are so sophisticated
in theological seminary. They're atheists, but
they're teaching the Bible. You know? They are
atheists. They don't believe in God, but they
are experts in explaining the scriptures. So,
first of all, the revelation of God comes by
what? By faith. By faith in what the scripture
says about who God is. So we must respond always
in faith. agreeing in faith that whatever the
scripture says is what we believe about who God
is. Matthew 16, 15, it says, but he said, okay,
this is all that the people have been saying
about me. All right? This is all the rumors.
You've brought all the conversation and all,
you know, the Google searches you've made about
Different stories about who Jesus is. Now, he
said to them, but who do you say? Let's leave
what people are saying. You, who do you say I
am? Who do you say I am? Jesus shifted from the
confession of others and his focus right now
is what? It's on the disciples. Moving away from
what the crowds have been saying to what the
disciples know about him. Now the Christian life
and of course the work of ministry must be founded
on what? On a personal knowledge. Now when I
say personal knowledge, I'm not saying a personal
interpretation. I'm saying that you must be able
to know God as an individual. Not on what my
pastor believe or what my pastor said. A personal
knowledge of God, who he is and what he has done.
Not the God of my father. Some people say, I
have a praying mother. So I will never fail.
You will fail. Don't pray. You walk away from
the will of God for your life. What prayer does?
Prayer aligns with the will of God for your life.
Your mother needs prayer for herself. Amen? Of
course we pray for one another. Alright? We are
encouraged to pray for one another. But as a
believer, you must seek to know God and to know
the will of God for yourself. Because nobody
can do the work of God on your behalf for you.
You, as an individual, are called to do. So it's
not the God of my pastor. No. The God of your
pastor must move from just being the God of your
pastor to what? To your own God. Your own God.
Your own God. He must be your own God as well.
And that comes by knowledge. Not just what my
pastor said. It must move from what my pastor
said to what I believe. What the pastor teaches
us must be believed on, personalized and practiced
in our lives. Because exploits in the kingdom
of God comes from knowing God. Hallelujah. It
comes from what? It comes from knowing God. Daniel
11 .32. Let's see that text in the Amplified.
In the Amplified. Daniel 11, 32. It says, And
such as violate the covenant, he shall pervert
and seduce with flatteries. But the people who
know their God, they shall prevail. They shall
prove themselves strong. Strong against what?
Against the violent, the perverted one. They
shall prove themselves strong and shall stand
firm and shall do what? And they shall do exploits
for God. Which means that it must come from a
point of what? Knowledge. Knowledge. Our faith
is a knowledge -based faith. Right? Christianity
is a knowledge -based faith. If you are an ignorant
person, you will not thrive as a Christian. If
you have an allergy for knowledge, sorry, Christianity
is not for you. You can be born again, but you
will not do much in this kingdom. So there must
be a high level of hunger. To know. Because knowledge
is essential. There must be a transformation.
Of our mind. Your mind. Is not born again. Hallelujah.
Your soul is safe. Your spirit is safe. But your
mind needs to be renewed. By what? By information.
By knowledge. That what has happened in your
spirit man. consumes your intellect, your mind.
And how does that come? It comes by the study
of God's word. That's what we're doing today.
That our mind is transformed and we acquire the
knowledge, the knowledge of God. Remember the
parable of the talents? You know. That one servant,
Matthew chapter 25 verse 24. Matthew 25 verse
24. Then he who had received the one talent came
and said, Lord, I knew you to be a hard man.
Talking about the master. Which means that he
has no knowledge of who the master is. Because
if he knew who the master is, he will do what?
He will have done well with what the master gives
him. He says, I know you to be a hard man, reaping
where you have not sown, and gathering where
you have not scattered seed. And then he gave
you one to keep. I mean, thank God it's a parable.
Amen. Thank God it's a story, right? It's a parable.
But unfortunately, some of us, our life is just
like this parable. It says, I was afraid. Fear
comes from where? The lack of knowledge of who
the master is, of who God is. I was afraid and
went and hid your talent in the ground. Look,
there you have what is yours. And look at what
the master says. But his Lord answered and said
to him, you wicked and lazy servant. You knew
that I reap where I have not sworn, which is
not true anyway. Right? And gathered where I
have not scattered seed. So you ought to have
just deposited my money with the bankers. And
at my coming, I will have received back my own
reward with interest. Therefore, take the talent
from him and give it to him who has ten talents.
To everyone who has more will be given. And he
will have abundance. But from him who does not
have, even what he has will be taken away. So
we see that the conduct of this servant is from
what? It's from a distorted knowledge of who
his master is. He couldn't be productive. He
couldn't become efficient in the utilization
of what he was given. Others were productive.
Others went and then they traded, as the scripture
would say, with what was given to them. But this
one, because he lacked knowledge and understanding
of who the master is, what the master is expecting
for him to do, he went and ducked and then he
hid. May that never be a testimony in Jesus'
name. That our lives will be spent about the
father's business. Hallelujah. That our lives
will yield profit in the kingdom. See, God seeks
profit from our lives. And the profit is souls
that will be able to what? Multiply. Will be
able to multiply. Hallelujah. Now let's look
at the reply of Simon Peter. Matthew 16. Simon
answered and said, you are the Christ. Amen?
Hello? What is his answer? Let's read verse 16
together, all of us. One, two, go. Simon Peter
answered and said, you are the Christ, the son
of the living God. Hallelujah. Christ. He was
able to give an accurate answer different from
that of the crowd. You are the Christ. Son of
the living God. And I believe so much that God
intends to reveal himself to us. Amen? for each
and every one of us, that, listen, I'm so sure
about this, that our eyes are opening to know
who God is. That the confidence we have in preaching
Christ, people will be asking, why is this brother
so passionate about evangelism? Why is this sister
so passionate about this Christ? Someone asked
me that. In the office, while I was working some
years back in the office here, my boss walked
into my room and she was asking, are you being
paid from anywhere? I said, no. Then why are
you so passionate about this fellowship of a
thing? And I told her, you see this fellowship,
I can leave school because of this fellowship.
Because I've come to a point that I'm convinced
that this is life. Amen? And a person does not
just walk into this and I'm hoping that I will
grow more every single day in the knowledge of
God. I will grow deeper in the knowledge of who
God is. There's a place of knowledge you come
to know about God that it is impossible to deny
God. Amen? It's impossible to Even the disciples
went away with him. Later on we'll see. When
everybody was walking away, they said, will you
also go? Peter, who is their spokesman, said,
unto who shall we go? We've come to realize,
we've come to know that you are the one that
have eternal life. So where are we going? Where
else are we going to go? Even if it's hard. You
see, the people that will walk away from the
faith are people that don't have fruit. Right?
They remain at the surface level. When trial
comes, what happens? It swifts them away. When
temptation comes, what happens? It takes them
away. But for you, your testimony is that you
know God. Amen? And the knowledge of God you
will have. You will be like that house that is
built on the rock. And you are grounded. You
are firm on the rock. Your root goes down into
the ground. Hallelujah. The wind will blow. The
temptations will come. The challenges will rise.
On account of the truth, you will be persecuted.
Oh, some of you, they will fire you from your
jobs on account of the truth. Some of you, you'll
be rejected by your loved ones. It will happen.
But your testimony will be that, see, I've come
to know who God is. And it's too late for me
to say what? To say I'm going back. But you see,
it takes a man, it takes a woman that knows God.
To reach this place of conviction. Sometimes
when I read. Or read a little bit about. The
men who gave themselves. Why will the apostles.
First of all let's begin with the apostles. What
do you think would be so convincing. If you look
at how. Each and every one of them was killed.
Except John. Some of them the Bible says. History
rather. Says that they were sworn into pieces.
How can a man believe a lie to the point of giving
his life? How can a man be willing to say, see,
even if you shoot me, you kill me, I will not
deny the faith. The history of the church will
see men that have laid down their lives for the
gospel. Some were excommunicated. Some were boiled
in hot oil. Some were burned with fire. And the
only condition they were given was to renounce
what? To renounce the gospel. And they were not
willing to because you know what? They have come
to know God. They have come to know the truth.
To the point that they are willing to lay down
their lives for the truth that they know. And
I see God moving us to this place of knowledge.
I see God moving us to this place of intimacy.
I see God bringing us to a place of conviction.
Men that will do exploits are men of conviction.
And conviction is a product of knowledge. The
knowledge of God. The knowledge of what he's
doing. The knowledge of what he has done. It
would take a man and a woman of conviction to
say, see, this job they're going to give me,
right? I may be making $100 ,000 annually. But
what this job will do for me is that it will
take away Christ. It will take away, you know,
an opportunity for me to know, it will affect
my relationship with God. It will take a man
and a woman of conviction to say no to such kind
of an opportunity for a source of livelihood
and say, I choose to trust God for something
else because I know that this will be a hindrance
to me serving God and living for God. It's not
just casual knowledge. It's not just casual knowledge.
Amen? It's not just casual knowledge. You always
see the crowds. The crowds will come around and
there will be 5 ,000. They will give you loaves
of bread. You know those ones? Jim, Jim, Jim
in church. Oh, this service was powerful. It
is a crowd. I'm not saying that singing and dancing
is bad. That's not what I'm saying. But if you
take away the instruments, the drums and the
keyboard, will you still sing? Or your devotion
for God is musically stimulated. If we say now
in this church we no longer play the keyboard,
we only come and clap. Will you dance and sweat?
Let's move away from the crowd and then come
into a place of intimacy, a place of relationship
with God that will know him in discipleship,
that will build this knowledge of him that will
be able to execute his will on the earth. Hallelujah.
It is crucial. Knowing God is important. And
that is what God is doing right now. Even Moses.
You see the story of Moses. When Moses was called
in Exodus chapter 3. That was a challenge he
had to cross. Exodus chapter 3 verse 1. Now,
when Moses was tending the flock of Jethro, his
father -in -law, a priest of Midian, and he led
the flock to the back of the desert and came
to Horeb, the mount of God. And the angel of
the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from
the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold,
the bush was burning with fire. But the bush
was not consumed. Then Moses said, I will now
turn aside and see this great sight by why the
bush does not burn. So when the Lord saw, he
turned aside to look. God called him from the
midst of the bush and said, Moses, Moses. And
he said, here I am. Then he said, do not draw
near this place. Take your sandals off your feet.
For the place where you stand is holy ground.
Moreover, he said, I am the God of your father.
You see introduction? God was introducing himself
to who? Because you see, if Moses would go and
preach the people of God in Egypt, he must know
who this God is. He must know because there are
many gods. There are many gods out there. But
this God is a God of Abraham, the God of Isaac,
and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face,
for he was afraid to look upon God. And the Lord
said, I have surely seen the oppression of my
people who are in Egypt, and I've heard... their
cry because of their taskmasters. For I know
their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver
them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to
bring them up from that land to a good and large
land, to a land flowing with milk and honey to
the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites
and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites
and the Jebusites. Now, therefore, this is his
call. Now, therefore, behold, the cry of the
children of Israel has come to me, and I have
also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians
oppressed them. Come now, therefore, I will send
you, that you may bring my people, the children
of Israel, out of Egypt. But Moses said to God,
Whom am I that I should go to Pharaoh, that I
should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?
So he said, I will certainly be with you. And
this shall be a sign to you that I have sent
you. When you have brought the people out of
Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.
Then Moses said to God, indeed, when I come to
the children of Israel and say to them, the God
of your fathers has sent me to you and they say
to me, what is his name? What shall I say to
them? And God said to Moses, I am who I am. And
he said, first you shall say to the children
of Israel, I am has sent you, sent me to you.
Hallelujah. So Moses was inquisitive about who
God is. Who is the God that is sending you? Do
you know him? Do you have a relationship with
him? Which God are you going out there? Listen,
Egypt is a picture. Alright? In scriptures, Egypt
is a picture. It's a picture of operation. Operation
is a picture of sin. And Moses is a deliverer.
A messenger has been sent to deliver them from
darkness, to deliver them from oppression. And
we equally have that ministry as Moses. To go
and deliver people from darkness. To deliver
people from oppression. To deliver people from
the works of darkness. To save them from what?
From wickedness. From oppression. But how are
we going to save them? Because what will save
them is a message. What are we going to tell
them? Who are we going to tell them? What will
save them is a message. And the message is a
who. The message is a person. Hallelujah. Now,
do you know that person? We must know that person.
Because the knowledge of God is important. If
not, Do you know what will happen to us? Let's
look at what will happen. Acts 19. We will not
be able to do it if we don't know God. Acts 19
verse 11. Let's see a story here. Now God walk
unusual miracle by the hands of Paul. So that
even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from
his body to the sick. And what happened? Diseases
left them and the evil spirit went out. Then
some of the Iteran Jewish exorcists saw what
Paul did. They said, this is good stuff. We're
going to do something. They took it upon themselves.
To call the name of the Lord Jesus over those
who are evil spirits. Saying, look at what they
say. We exercise you by the Jesus. Whom who?
Whom my pastor preach. We cast out these demons
in the name of the God of my father. Also there
were what? Seven sons of Siva. A Jewish chief
priest. Who did so? These were seven young men
who did. And what happened to them? And the evil
spirit answered and said, Jesus I know. Paul
I also know. But you half one. Who are you? Who
ghost you? And what happened? Then the man in
whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered
them, and prevailed. But remember, those who
know their God shall what? Shall what? Shall
be what? Shall be what? Shall be strong and what?
So these ones, what happened to them? They were
what? They were prevailed against. They were
overpowered. So that they fled out of that house
how? Naked and wounded. This is shame. Naked
and what? And wounded. Why? Because they were
trying to do something that they don't have shame
in. They are trying to do something that they
don't have authority to do. They were trying
to do something that they don't have access to
do. But have they heard about Jesus? Yes, they
did. Do they believe Jesus? I doubt if they did.
Amen? Do you know that there was even a time
when they brought some sick people to the disciples?
To heal. And what happened? They couldn't heal
them. And Jesus made reference to their unbelief.
How many times will I be with you? So for us
to be effective, for us to be able to carry out
the work of ministry, listen, I can tell you
this, that ministry is warfare. Are we together?
It's life and death. A minister is always a target
by the enemy. Hallelujah. A target, number one,
your faith is a target. Your life is a target.
Your stability is a target. And what will establish
you is a knowledge of God. It's a knowledge of
God. So for us not to suffer disgrace, disgrace
to the name of God, disrepute to the name of
God, shame to the kingdom, shame to the family,
it's essential that we give ourselves to knowing
God. It's essential. And in knowing him, we are
in a relationship with him. We are in a communion
with him. We are in intimacy with him. That we
will know what to do. We will know where to go.
We will know how to go. We will know the message.
Hallelujah. Let's rise on our feet and pray a
little bit. Let's rise on our feet. The intent
of God is to reveal himself to us. I want you
to pray. Pray that God will reveal himself to
you. Pray. Pray for yourself. That your eyes
will be enlightened. That your eyes will be enlightened.
That was the prayer of Paul to the church. I
don't know God. Let's pray. Let's pray. Pray
for yourself. Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ,
that I will know you. That I will know you. That
I will know you. The revelation of Jesus is essential.
To manifesting the kingdom of God. Lord, that
I will know you. That I will know you, that I
will know you, that I will know you. Lord Jesus,
this is my prayer. This is my desire. For me
to represent you in this generation, I must know
you. This is our heart cry, Lord Jesus, in this
generation. That we will know you. That at least
amongst us here will know you. Not just by rumors.
Not just by hearsays. Open your mouth and pray,
and pray, pray, pray, pray. Listen. It is the
intention, listen, it is God's will to reveal
himself to us. It is God's intent to reveal himself
to us in this meeting so we can better represent
him, so we can better preach him, so we can better
better and better do the work of ministry thank
you Jesus thank you for listening to today's
sermon your journey matters to us let's keep
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