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. Thank you, Holy Spirit. Thank you,
Father. Thank you, Lord. So I receive revelation.
I receive revelation of your word. I walk by
revelation. My eyes are open. Your word is revealed
to me. And I walk by the power of your word.
Your name is exalted. The name is exalted. By
the entrance of your word, I receive understanding.
I receive liberty. And I live by the power of
your word. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Hallelujah.
Let's have our seats. I hope you can hear me
well. Can you all hear me? All right. And oftentimes
when we read the Bible and we see different miracles
that Jesus performed, it amazes us. We see the
power of God at work in healing the sick. We
see the power of God at work. In making the blind
see, the lame walk, the dead reason from the
dead. And one of the important miracles that
we don't really put to consideration is Jesus
speaking to 5 ,000 without a microphone. And
they will see, hear him, understand him. Hallelujah.
So I just want you to be attentive, okay? And
pay attention to what we're doing. And I want
to encourage you to keep praying for the church,
all right? That we will have a much more conducive
environment and that we can utilize our facilities
at all times. And then worship God effectively.
Hallelujah. Matthew 16. Matthew 16 from verse
18. Let me read from verse 18. I'll read verse
18 and verse 19 together. And I also say to you,
Simon Barajas. Okay. 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. Look
at verse 18 attentively, verse 19 carefully.
It says, and I will give you the key of what?
Let's read verse 19 together. All of us, let's
look at the screen and read it together. One,
two, go. 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 loosed in heaven. Hallelujah.
Now, on Sunday, we established two important
fundamental things that I said will help us as
we continue our study on the kingdom of God,
of course, which we also refer to as the kingdom
of heaven. And we said, we look at two things.
And what are those two things? The foundation
of the world and what? And the end of the age
or what we call the end of the world. All right.
And we said, God began a project from when? From
the foundation of the world. God began a work
from the foundation of the world. And we say
that the foundation of the world refers to which
part of scripture? From Genesis, right? We'll
begin to see the plan of God. We'll begin to
see the purpose of God. We'll begin to see the
activity that God began. All right? And then
this work that God began will be completed or
will be brought to its conclusion at the end
of the age or at the end of the world. The completion
of God's work at the end of the world. Hallelujah.
And we say that the end of the world is not what?
It's not meaning that the earth that we are,
the physical earth we are, will be destroyed.
As seen in Matthew 24, you know, the questions
that the disciples were asking Jesus Christ,
you know, when will the end of the age be? And
we study contextually and we say that this is
not referring to the destruction of the world
as normally discussed from that particular passage.
So we also mention again on Sunday that there
is a concept in scripture. And what's that concept
that is consistent through our scripture? The
idea of building, right? The idea of construction,
the idea of building. And then we say that the
foundation is in Genesis. And the end of this
building is what we will call the end of the
world. Therefore, we concluded that the end of
the world has a positive word connotation. and
not a negative one. So when we say the end of
the world, it's not something that we should
be scared of. Isn't it? When we say the end of
the world, it's not something that should terrify
the believer because we understand what that
is. It is about the work that God is doing on
the face of the earth. So it would be wrong to
associate this with the destruction of the world.
Hallelujah. Now I want us to continue on our
story of the kingdom of God. Let's turn to Mark
chapter 11. A passage I think Brother read for
us earlier on in John. Yes, John. Is it John
or Mark? John chapter 2. Well, let's read from
Mark and we'll come to that one. Mark chapter
11. Mark chapter 11. From verse 15. Mark chapter
11. From verse 15. Mark 11. from verse 15 to
19. So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went
into the temple and began to drive out those
who bought and sold in the temple and overturned
the tables of the money changers and the seats
of those who sold doves. And he would not allow
anyone to carry wares throughout the temple.
Then he taught to them, saying, Is it not written,
My Father's house shall be called a house of
prayer for all nations? But you have made it
a den of thieves. And the scribes and the chief
priests heard it and sought how they might destroy
him. For they feared him, because all the people
were astonished at the teaching. Verse 19. When
Eve had come, he went out of the city. Hallelujah.
Now, whenever we read this part of the scripture,
what really draws our attention is the activity
of Jesus Christ. That he made a whip, a court,
and then when we watch the movie, most of the
movies we watch, what was the name of this movie?
Passion of Christ, right? The Passion of Christ
and many of them. We see how Jesus was flogging
people out of the temple and the drama is focused
on Jesus. flogging people and, you know, overturning
the table of the money changers and scattering
places and making things happen. But there's
more to it than this. Hallelujah. So now, why
was they buying and selling the temple? That's
the first thing we should ask ourselves. Why
was they buying and selling the temple? Why was
they buying and selling the temple? Was they
buying and selling something bad or evil? that
Jesus had to come and then flog them out because
they were buying and selling in his house. Amen?
Now, we can only speculate, all right, that there
were some shady deals happening in the temple
because the scripture did not clearly put it
for us in that context. So oftentimes, people
will say, oh, these people were doing some dirty
deals, you know. Or they've turned the house
of God, instead of people where people come and
pray, they've turned it into transaction, a business
center. Now it is essential to note that various
types of animals, because we see the table that
was scattered, right? Various types of animals,
oxen, sheep and doves were sold in the temple
for those who required them for the sacrifice
mandated by the Lord of Moses. So the temple
worship, comprises sacrifice of animals. Okay?
Sometimes they sacrifice doves, sheep, and oxen.
So Jews who travel from far and wide wouldn't
need to carry animals on their journey because
Jews were scattered all around the world. So
imagine the Jews in, let's say Jews in Africa,
Ethiopia, as an example now. If they are traveling
for temple sacrifice, if they are traveling maybe
to Israel to go and worship in the temple, they
don't need to carry animals from where they are
coming from, to the temple. Hallelujah. They
knew that when they arrive, there will be provision.
All right? And they will have supply for what
they will use for the sacrifice. So they don't
need to carry, you know, animals alongside with
them. He said, they will bring the money from
wherever they are coming from. and exchange it
and buy the required animals for the sacrifice
with the specified, you know, specifications.
Because, you know, there is specification to
the kind of animals you sacrifice. When you read
through Deuteronomy, through all the testimony,
you see the specification of the kind of animals
that should be sacrificed in the worship in the
temple. So obviously, when you come to the temple,
you find this available. And what you do is that
you... Come with the money from wherever you're
coming from and there's exchange that happened.
Some of you do money exchange. They'll exchange
the money for the currency and then they'll get
the animals and then they'll do the temple activity
they need to do. Hallelujah. So it is important
to note that the action Jesus took, the action
that Jesus took was an illustration of a teaching
he gave in the temple. Okay, what action are
we talking about? The action of the overturning
of the table of the money exchangers and the
dust ceiling in the temple was an illustration.
It is an illustration of the teaching. Did Jesus
teach in the temple? Verse 17. Give me verse
17. Let's look at verse 17. Let's look at verse
17. Then he taught. So it means that Jesus did
not only come into the temple and scatter their
table and walk away. Right? There was something
that Jesus did in the temple. And it was a teaching
ministry. We will look at it from other rendition
of it in other gospels that it was a days long
activity. Then he taught saying, he taught, he
taught. Amen? This is it. This is the subject
of his teaching for all those days. This is the
subject of his teaching for those days. as he
overturned the table of the money exchangers
and those that sold in the temple, saying to
them, is it not written that my house, whose
house? My house shall be called a house of prayer
for how many nations? For all nations. Okay?
But you have made it a den of thieves. So Jesus
taught in the temple. There was a teaching that
happened in the temple. Now let's read from other
accounts to get a complete picture of what happened
in the temple. Matthew 21 verse 12. Matthew 21
verse 12 to 17. Then Jesus went into the temple
of God and drove out all in the temple who sold
in the temple and overtook the table of the money
changers. Help me now. What I do? Which verse
are we? Verse 13. And he said to them, it is
written, my house shall be called a house of
prayer. But you have made it a den of thieves.
Then the blind, look at what happened again.
Not what happened in the temple. We didn't see
this in Mark, right? So it's only teaching that
happened in the temple. What happened again?
Then the blind, okay? And the lame came to him
in the temple. The blind and the lame came to
him in the temple. Note carefully that in the
temple that was established, the blind and the
lame were not permitted to come into the temple
by law. Are we together? But now we see the blind
and the lame came to him in the temple. And what
did he do? He healed them. So we see Jesus taught
and Jesus healed. All right, verse 15. But when
the chief priest and the scribe saw the wonderful
things that he did, and the children crying out
in the temple, which means that there were children
in the temple, of course, Hosanna to the son
of David. They called Jesus the son of David.
Was Jesus the son of David? He was the son of
Joseph. But they were able to see him from the
light of the scriptures that he is the son of
David. Hallelujah. He has taught based on the
teaching he has done. Okay. Hosanna to the son
of David. They were indignant. Who was indignant?
The Pharisees, right? And he said to him, do
you hear what these are saying? And Jesus said
to them, yes. Have you never read out of the
mouth of babes and nosy infants? You have perfected
praise. Verse 17. Then he left them and went
out of the city to Bethany. And he lodged there.
So from Mark, we didn't see his destination,
but here we could see additional information,
giving us a complete picture of what happened
there. Hallelujah. So what do we see more? Jesus
healed the blind and the lame in the temple.
Now Luke chapter 19, verse 45. Luke chapter 19,
verse 45 to 48. 19 verse 45. Luke chapter 19
verse 45 to 48. Then he went into the temple
and began to drive out those who bought and sold
in it, saying to them, It is written, My house
is a house of prayer, but you have made it a
den of thieves. And he was teaching. He was what?
How was he teaching? We see another additional
information. He was teaching daily in the temple.
Context, full picture. He was teaching daily
in the temple. But the chief priest, the scribes,
and the leaders of the people sought to destroy
him. Verse 48, the last one here. And were unable
to do so, to do anything. For all the people
were what? Were very attentive to him. Hallelujah.
So we will understand from verse 47. Jesus was
what? Spent some days in the temple teaching.
Alright? Now, John chapter 2, verse 13 to 22.
John chapter 2, verse 13 to 22, where we prayed
about zeal. Alright? Now the Passover of the
Jews was at hand. So now, this passage gave us
the time that that happened. close to the Passover.
Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand and
Jesus went up to Jerusalem and he found in the
temple those who sold. So the reason why he said
Passover was because the Passover usually is
a big occasion, right? Where we have a lot of
people travel to celebrate it. Very important.
And he found in the temple those who sold oxen
and sheep and doves and the money changers doing
business. When he had made a whip of court, now
we have a picture of how he did it. In Nigeria,
we call it koboko. I don't know what you call
it in Liberia or in Zimbabwe or in Kenya. There's
a special whip or a cane they use in beating
thieves. And sometimes they hang it in our homes.
And if you are not behaving, it will be used
on you. So when he had made a whip of coats,
he drove them all out of the temple with the
sheep and the oxen and poured out the changers'
money and overturned the tables. And he said
to those who sold doves, take these things away.
Do not make my father's house a house of what
merchandise. Then his disciples remembered. What
did they remember? It was written, zeal for what?
Underline house. Zeal for your house has eaten
me up. So the Jews answered and said to him,
what sign do you, remember the context that has
been teaching, that has been teaching, and they
understood what he was teaching. All right? So
the Jews answered and said to him, what sign
do you show us since you do these things? Which
things? The healing and all that happened there,
the teaching and everything. And then the illustration
of the scattering of the table and then the chasing
out of the money changers and the sheep. Jesus
answers and said to them, destroy this what?
This temple. Which temple? And in two days I
will raise it up. Right? Then the Jew said, it
has taken 46 years to build this temple. How
will you raise it up in three days? But he was
speaking of what? Of the temple of his body.
Okay? Therefore, when he had risen from the dead,
his disciples remembered what he had said this,
that he had said this to them. And they believed
the scripture. What did they believe? The word
of Jesus or the scriptures? They believed the
scriptures because Jesus was speaking from the
scriptures. They believed the scriptures and
the word which Jesus had said. Hallelujah. So
declaring of a temple of sellers, of oxen, sheep
and dove is Jesus declaring the fulfillment of
prophecy. Okay? Jesus is declaring a fulfillment
of prophecy. And we're going to see what a prophecy
is. The system of animal sacrifice will come
to an end. That was what Jesus was declaring.
That a system of animal sacrifices, the system
of slaughtering, doves, sheep and oxen for the
sake of, you know, sacrificing to God for sins
will end, will be over. Jesus was illustrating
his teaching by clearing the table of the martyrs,
declaring that there will be no need for this
sacrifice. Hallelujah. Also, healing of a sick
is an illustration of the forgiveness of sins.
The lame and the blind coming into the temple
is counter -cultural. I said earlier on that
they were not permitted to come into the temple.
But we see Jesus always goes against culture
and enforcing the culture that God desires to
see manifest. Hallelujah. So Jesus is teaching
that in the new system of worship, there's no
barrier. Okay? There's no barrier. Now let us
consider the text. Let's go and study the text,
the sermon, the text to which Jesus was teaching
from. Isaiah 56. From verse 1. Isaiah 56 from
verse 1. We read from verse 1 to verse 8. Thus
says the Lord, keep justice and do righteousness.
For my salvation is about to come and my righteousness
to be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this.
And a son of man who lays hold on it, who keeps
from defiling the Sabbath and keeps his hand
from doing any evil. Do not let the son of the
foreigner. Do not let the son of who? Of the
foreigner. Who is this foreigner? Who has joined
himself to the Lord. Speak. Say. Now the foreigner
will mean someone that is not Jewish. Alright?
The foreigner will mean someone that is not part
of the nation of Israel. Do not let the son of
the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord
speak saying, the Lord has utterly separated
me from his people. Nor let the Enoch say, here
I am, a dry tree. For thus says the Lord to the
Enoch who keep my Sabbath and choose what pleases
me and hold fast my covenant. Even to them I
will give. In my house. Even to them I will give
what? In my house and within my walls, house.
See, most of the scriptures we keep reading,
you see temple, house, building. Take note, alright?
Very important. Even though to them I will give
in my house and with my walls a place and a name
better than that of sons and daughters. I will
give them an everlasting name that shall not
be cut off. Also, the sons of the foreigner.
Remember the foreigner? Who is the foreigner?
A non -Jew, right? Who joins himself to the Lord
to serve him, which means that the foreigner
has decided, has become part of the nation of
Israel, isn't it? To serve the Lord. To serve
him and to love the name of the Lord. To be his
servants. Everyone who keeps from defiling the
Sabbath. And hold fast my covenant. Even them
I will bring to my holy mountain. Mountain? Mountain?
And make them joyful in my what? In my house
of prayer. House of prayer. And make them joyful
in my house of prayer. Their bond of friends
and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar
for my house of what? Familiar? Is familiar?
For my house, O Lord, shall be called a house
of prayer for how many nations? So what will
all these nations encapsulate? What is all nations?
Jew and non -Jew alike. All nations means humanity.
It means all people. Hallelujah. My house shall
be a house of prayer for who? For all nations.
Verse 8. The Lord God who gathers the archers
of Israel, the archers of Israel, those who are
not part of Israel, says, yet I will gather to
him others. Who are these others? Others beside
those who are gathered to him. Hallelujah. So
God's plan is for who? It's for all nations.
Amen. That all nations will be part of this worship.
That these all nations will come into the house
of the Lord, which is a house of prayer. for
all nations. So we consider, according to the
prophecy that Jesus was teaching from, the house
of prayer is for all people. Not just Israel.
It includes the foreigner. Amen? And the prophecy
brings all nations into God's house. So God's
house is for all nations. It's for all men. It's
for all people. Nations means what? It means
people. Let's go back a bit. Isaiah chapter 2.
Isaiah chapter 2. I mean, in this short, this
one will be familiar to us. Isaiah chapter 2,
verse 1 to 3. The word that Isaiah, the son of
Amos, so concerning Judah and Jerusalem. Now
it shall come to pass in the latter days. Amen.
What latter days? Latter days. It's a time and
season in scripture. Amen. There's another scripture
that talks about latter days. The latter house,
right, shall be what? Shall be greater. Latter
house, latter days. Latter days that the mountain
of the Lord's house, the mountain of the Lord's
house, shall what? Be established on what? On
the top of the mountains. On the top of the mountains.
and shall be exalted above the hill. And how
many nations? All nations shall flow to it. From
all over the world, all nations shall flow to
it. Many people shall come and say, come, let
us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the
house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his
ways and we shall walk in his paths. For out
of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of
the Lord from Jerusalem. Hallelujah. So all nations
shall flow to the house of God. The house of
God will be constituted of people from where?
From every tribe. From every race. Okay? From
every tongue. Alright? From every gender. And
etc. Hallelujah. Male and female, that's what
I mean. Don't misquote me. Now let us ask, can
a fiscal house or a temple carry people from
all nations? Is there a building ever in history
that can carry all nations in one place? It's
impossible. Even the one that Solomon built.
All nations cannot enter it. Even the one that
the Jews, the disciples, they were asking Jesus,
where will the destruction happen? Even that
one cannot carry all nations. Hallelujah. So
it will mean that this house is not something
physical. Alright? It's not a physical temple.
It's not a physical house. Are we together? It's
not something material. Therefore, it means that
the customs, from where we read earlier on, that
the customs of animal sacrifice in a physical
temple will come to an end and a new system will
be instituted. That is what Jesus was teaching
in the temple. Hallelujah. Do you know that the
evil Solomon, when he dueled the temple, let's
turn to 1 Kings 8 verse 27. Solomon, even when
he built the temple, he was the first person
to build the temple, right? Was he the one that
established the temple? Who started the work
of the temple? It was David, right? David mobilized
resources. David prepared for the work. And God
said, no, no, no, you can't build a temple. You
can't build a temple. Why? Because you've done
so many things that your hand carry. He has done
so many wars. Let's look at Solomon who built
the temple. He said this at the dedication of
the temple. He said, but will God indeed dwell
on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of
the heavens cannot contain you. Amen. How much
less this what? This temple which I have built.
So what he's trying to say that God cannot, God
will not even live in that temple. Amen? What
he's saying is that God will not live in that
physical temple. It's just an illustration of
the real thing that God is doing. Hallelujah.
Amen? So the physical temple was meant to be
an illustration and not the eternal structure
and not the permanent one. It's not the real
thing. That is why Jesus would say this thing
will go down. Amen? This that you see that you've
adorned, that you turn it into a ritual house.
First of all, it will be desecrated. Daniel will
say that the solution that bring what? Am I saying
the right thing? He prophesied of a destruction
and Jesus came and then he said it in Matthew
24. Hallelujah. So the plan is that the sacrifice
in that temple will end. Hallelujah. So in John
chapter 2, verse 18 to 22. The Jews asked Jesus
for a sign. For what? What is a sign that they
were asking for? They were asking for a sign
for when the prophecy of Isaiah, which Jesus
was teaching from, will come to pass. Now note,
a sign refers to what? It refers to something
that points to an event. Amen? A sign refers
to something that points to an event. The sign
is not the event itself. Okay? For example, now
you're entering here with Nigeria, you see one
big billboard. And you see an arrow pointing
to where the gate is. When you stand by the gate,
by that billboard, you are not at the university.
That billboard is to point you to where the university
is, right? Which means that the university is
close by. If you look around, you'll see it.
So a sign is a pointer to the main event. So
Jesus said, destroy this temple. So which temple
was he talking about? A physical temple? Listen,
there is physical temple, okay? You must know
which temple Jesus is speaking at every point
in time. Now, destroy this temple is referring
to what? It is referring to his body. Okay? Now,
you cannot say anyway, see temple, it means the
body of Christ. No. Context is important too.
Finding meaning towards the scripture. Okay.
So. Destroy this temple. And what? And I'll raise
it up in three days. Now he was not referring
to the physical temple as I said. But rather
to his body. Meaning that he was referencing
his death. Okay. So there's time. For what? For
what will happen. Is his death. Okay. His burial.
And his resurrection. When he dies. And he rises
again, which will usher in a new system of worship.
They ask him, show us a sign that this thing
will happen, that this will end. He says, destroy
this body, this temple, and I will rise it again.
I will raise it again. And this becomes the point
to which the new system of worship, a new temple,
a new house, More glorious and more permanent
than this that is physical will be established.
Hallelujah. Now the Father's house is not a physical
structure, right? The temple, we refer it to
the temple, we refer it to the Father's house,
right? It's not a physical structure. But it
is what? It is people. Okay? It is people. It
is people. John chapter 14. John chapter 14,
verse 1 to 4. All right. Let not your heart be
troubled. You believe in God, believe also in
me. In my Father's house. What house are we talking
about here? We begin to understand what that
house is, right? In my Father's house are many
mansions. If it were not so, I would have told
you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if
I go and prepare a place for you, I will come
again and receive you to myself. The way I am,
there you may be also. Amen. If you are new or
you are just coming this semester, we have agreed
before you came as a church. that this place,
okay, it's not talking about heaven in the sense
that there are mansions and houses in heaven.
There is no Range Rover in heaven. There is no
flats in heaven. Why are we, how did you come
to this conclusion that this is not talking about
buildings? First of all, we say that, he said,
in my father's word, My father's house. We say
that even by just reading it, it's not logical.
How can a mansion, you know what a mansion is?
Think of, what is a mansion? Your presidential
villa, maybe from Kenya. What do they call the
name? State house. State house. It's a name they
call it. They put it at somebody's name, they
use name in it. People don't want to speak. In
Nigeria, they call it Asa Rock. Right? In America,
they call it the wife house. They don't like
Ruth too. But they voted him. Amen. So that's
just by the way. Imagine in a house, it's a white
house, a mansion in a house. Was it fitting?
So first of all, by reading the English, you
know that this is not adding up. Alright? Now
contextually, the background of this text is
that Jesus has informed his disciples about His
death and also his betrayal. His betrayal and
his death, obviously. Jesus told them that he
will believe in them. Let's go back to chapter
13, verse 31 to 36. John chapter 13, verse 31
to 36. Please, let's be fast so that we can...
Yes. John chapter 13, verse 31 to 36. We're trying
to read and have understanding on chapter 14,
verse 1 to 4. So when he had gone out, Jesus
said, now the son of man is glorified. No. Yes,
yes. Okay. He's glorified in him. If God is glorified
in him, God will also glorify in himself and
glorify him immediately. Little children, I shall
be with you a little while. This is Jesus telling
them. You will seek me. And as I said, to the
Jews, where I am going, you cannot come. So now
I say to you, a new commandment I give to you,
that you love one another, as I have loved you,
that you also love one another. By this, all
will know that you are my disciples, if you have
love one for another. Verse 36, this is where
Peter asked him, he said, Simon Peter said to
him, Lord, Where are you going? It's a question
Peter asked, right? Where are you going? Jesus
answered him, where I am going, you cannot follow
me now. Okay? Where I am going, you cannot follow
me where? Did Jesus say that Peter will not follow
him? But what? The timing, right? He says, you
cannot follow me where? Now. But you shall follow
me when? Afterwards. So the problem is the timing.
Peter said to him, Lord, because he didn't have
understanding. Why can I not follow you now?
I can just imagine conversation like a baby.
Victor and his daughter, she like questions.
Why can I not follow you now? I will lay down
my life for your sake. That's Peter. Jesus answered
him. Will you lay down your life for my sake?
Most assuredly I say to you. the rooster shall
crow, shall not crow, till you have denied me
three times. Okay? Let's move to the next chapter.
Then the conversation continues into the next
chapter. Then he continues telling them, let
not your heart be troubled. You believe in God,
believe also in me. Okay? Now, this is Jesus
answering the question now of Peter. Are we together?
In my Father's house are many mansions. If it
were not so, I will have told you, I go toward,
so where he's going, he's going to prepare a
place for you. All right? Verse three. And if
I go and prepare a place for you, I will come
again and receive you to myself. That where I
am, there you may be also. Hallelujah. So in
verse two, We see the word house and we've said,
we've agreed, we've seen from scriptures that
the word house there means what? Oikia, right?
Referring to an inhabited edifice, a dwelling
or a house, a household, household, people. All
right. Additionally, the word mansions is derived
from the Greek word money, which is also used
in verse 23. Give me verse 23. Verse 23 of Rasen,
John 14, 23. Jesus answered and said to him,
if anyone loves me, he will keep my words and
my father will love him and we will come to him
and make our home with him. That home, right?
Is that same word mansions or what we call money
in the Greek. It means we make our dwelling place.
This means that the mansion or what we call the
money in Greek is a metaphor of God indwelling
believers as we've seen in this verse 23. So
what Jesus is saying is this, that in my father's
household, in my father's family, meaning people,
there is a dwelling for you. My goal is to what?
is to prepare a place for you in this family.
And this preparation will be seen in his death.
He's going, he's going to die. And in his death,
he's going to establish this access for them
to be in the family of God. Through his death,
Jesus will establish this. He will have to die
for this to be achieved. So this idea of household,
will be seen first in scriptures. House, not
just household, but household of God. Right?
The concept of the household of God will be seen
first where? In Genesis 28. Where Jacob had an
encounter. Let's go there. Let's go to Genesis
chapter 28. Verse 10 to 18. We're trying to trace
where the word household of God was used or was
seen first. Now let's read from verse 10 to 18
verses. Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and
went towards Haran. So he came to a certain place
and stayed there all night because the sun had
set. And he took one of the stools of that place
and put it at his head. And he lay down in that
place to sleep. Then he dreamed and behold, this
is his dream. A ladder was set. I can't see the
screen here. Yes. A ladder was set on the earth
and its tops reaches to the heavens. And there
the angels of God were ascending and what? And
descending on it. They were ascending and descending
on it. And behold, the Lord stood above it and
said, I am the Lord, the God of Abraham, your
father, and the God of Isaac. The land on which
you lie, I will give you and your descendants.
Also your descendants shall be as the dust of
the earth. You shall spread abroad to the west
and to the east, to the north and to the south,
and you and your seed in you and what? Seat or
seat? Seat, right? Singular. You, in you and
in your seat, all the families of the earth shall
what? Shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you.
I will keep you wherever you go and will bring
you back to this land. For I will not leave you
until I have done what I have spoken to you.
Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, This
is his translation of what he saw when he woke
up from sleep. He said, show me the Lord is in
this place and I did not know it. Okay? And he
was afraid and said, how awesome is this place?
This is none other than what? Than the house
of God. And this is the gate of what? Gate of
heaven. The house of God. The gate of heaven.
Now, it is important to note that God reiterates
in verse 13 and 14 the promise he made to Abraham
and Isaac. Okay? This is the same promise God
made to Abraham and Isaac. If we read verse 13
and verse 14, we'll see some important component.
Number one, we'll see the word land. Alright?
So land is there as part of the conversation.
So land is important. We also see the multiplication
of descendants as the dust of the earth. All
right? As the dust of the earth. I will see this
sentence that through his seat, all the families
of the earth will be blessed. By the seat of
Jacob, the whole families of the earth, the people
of the earth will be blessed. In verse 17, Jacob
explains what he saw as the house of God. The
house of God. The word house is translated from
the Hebrew word bayit. Okay? B -A -Y -I -T. It's
referred to a household or a family. So, metaphorically,
bayit is referring to a household. For example,
I said I'm going to Kostin's house. Pastor Kostin's
house. What am I referring? I'm going to visit
his family, right? I'm going to Pastor Chidi's
house. It simply means I'm going, if I say I'm
spending my time in Pastor Chidi's house, it
means that I'm spending time with his family,
his household. Are we together? So, it means
household or a family. That means that what he
saw was what? The household of God. What he saw
was a family of God. And then to further, that
this that he saw wasn't something physical. He
says the house of God, he says that there's a
gate of heaven. Heaven simply means spiritual.
Okay? The house of God is not a physical building
but something spiritual and eternal. Something
spiritual and what? And eternal. He called the
place gate of heaven meaning something spiritual.
Now let's step back and see God's promise to
Abraham in Genesis chapter 12. Now we've seen
Jacob, right? Now let's go back and see God's
conversation with Abraham. Genesis chapter 12,
verse 1 to 9, quickly. Yes. Now the Lord had
said to Abraham, get out of your country from
your family and from your father's house to a
land that I will show you. I will make you a
great nation. I will bless you and make your
name great and you shall be a blessing. I will
bless those who bless you and I will curse him
who curses you and in you all the families of
the earth shall be blessed. This is similar to
what we saw with Jacob. Alright? So Abraham departed
us. We are reading this with the apostles and
we receive one translation. You know, that for
Abram to be blessed. God added Ham to his name.
And that's what made Abram blessed. Is that what
made Abram blessed? Hallelujah. So Abram departed
as the Lord had spoken to him and the Lord went
with him. And Abram was 75 years old when he
departed from Haran. Then Abram took Seba his
wife and Lot his brother's son and all their
possessions that they had gathered and the people
whom they had acquired in Haran. And they departed
to go to the land of Canaan. We see land evolving
here, right? So they came to the land of Canaan.
Abraham passed through the land to the place
of Shechem as far as a terebinth, tree of Moriah.
And the Canaanites were then in the land. Verse
7. Then the Lord appeared to Abraham and said
to your descendants. Do we see descendants? I
will give this land. And there he built an altar
for the Lord, to the Lord who had appeared to
him. And he moved from there to the mountain
east of Bethel and he pitched his tent. Bethel.
Do we know Bethel? Is it familiar? Where is Bethel?
Was that the place Jacob had an encounter? All
right. Please, this thing is not showing. Yeah.
He went to Bethel and... Either team, please
find a final solution. This is so we can be fast.
Okay? Which verse are we? Verse 8. So Abraham
said to Lot, Please let there be no strife. Yes,
sorry. I have gone to cartoon. And he moved from
there to the mountain east of Bethel and pitched
his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the
east. There he built an altar to the Lord and
called on the name of the Lord. So Abraham journeyed
going on. still towards the south. Hallelujah.
Now let's jump to chapter 13, verse 14. Chapter
13, verse 14 to verse 18. And the Lord said to
Abraham, after the Lord had separated, when the
Lord, they had some issues and they separated
with the Lord. And the Lord said to Abraham,
after the Lord had separated from him, lift up
your eyes now and look. From the place where
you are, northward, southward, eastward, and
westward. For all the land which you see, land,
right? All the land which you see, I give to
you and your descendants for when? Forever. I
think this is the claim that the nation of Israel,
they are holding and they are fighting. And I
will make your descendants as the dust away of
the earth. So that if a man could number the
dust of the earth, Then your descendants also
could be numbered. Arise, walk in the land through
its length and its width, for I give it to you.
Then Abraham moved his tent and went and dwelt
by the turbulent trees of Mamre, which are in
Hebron, and built an altar there to the Lord.
Amen. Let's jump to chapter 15, verse 4 and 5.
And behold, the word of the Lord came to him,
saying, This one shall not be your heir, but
one who will come from your own body shall be
your heir. Then he brought him outside and said,
Look towards the heavens and count the stars,
if you are able to number them. And he said to
him, So shall your descendants be. Hallelujah.
So we can see clearly that all the promises God
made to Jacob were the same as the one he made
to Abraham. Land was involved, okay? Multiplication
of his descendants and his seed. And all the
families of the earth will be blessed through
the seed. Hallelujah. Now let's briefly examine
how the writer of Hebrews interpreted these promises.
Alright? Let's go to Hebrews. Hebrews chapter
11, verse 8. Hebrews 11, verse 8. Hebrews chapter
11 from verse 8 to 16. By faith, Abraham obeyed
when he was called to go out to the place he
will receive an inheritance. That land is an
inheritance, is it? And he went out not knowing
where he was going. By faith, he dwelt in the
land of promise. as in a foreign country, dwelling
in the tents with Isaac and Jacob? Did Abraham
dwell with Jacob? Amen. By faith he dwelt in
the land of promise, as in a foreign country,
dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs
with him of the same promise. The same promise
to Abraham is the same promise to Isaac, is the
same promise to Jacob. and to Moses, and to the
prophets, to the nation of Israel, and to you,
and to us in our own generation. So, for he waited
for the city, verse 10, for the city which has
foundation, what we saw in land, and now Hebrews
is saying a city, okay? For he waited for the
city which has foundations, whose builder and
maker is who? It's God. So it means that this
city or this land is not a physical land. It's
not a physical city. Hallelujah. The foundation
is what? The foundation, which one has foundations?
We know what foundation is. Beginning from a
foundation. By faith, Sarah herself also received
strength to conceive. This word conceived is
the word foundation. Conception. Amen? By faith,
Sarah herself also received strength to conceive
seed, and she bore a child when she was past
the age, because she judged him faithful who
had promised. Therefore, from one man and him,
as good as death, were born as many as the stars
of the sky, in multitude, immeasurable, as the
sun which are by the seashores. Verse 13, these
all died in faith, not having received the promise,
but having seen them afar off, were assured of
them, embraced them and confessed that they were
strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those
who say such things declare plainly that they
seek a homeland. Homeland simply means father's
land, right? Homeland simply means a father's
land. A homeland. And truly, if they had called
into mind that country from which they had come
out, they would have had the opportunity to return.
But now, hallelujah, they desire a what? A better.
What does better mean? Heavily, permanent, better.
The opposite of better here is not worse. All
right? Better means a permanent one. They desire
a permanent, that is, a heavenly one. Okay? Therefore,
God is not ashamed to be called their what? Their
God. For he has prepared a city. He prepared
a city for them. So, is this city a physical
city or a spiritual city? So what is city? City
is translated from the Greek word polis. P -O
-L -I -S. Polis. Alright? From whence we have
politics. Affairs of the city. Politics. Political.
Cosmopolitan of the city. Cosmopolitan. Or which
other word again? Metropolis. Yes. What other
word again? All the wonder comes with this. So,
city is from the word polis. And it refers to
people. Alright? We can conclude that what they
were looking for was a spiritual people, a spiritual
family. This land is also called, this land,
we've seen that the land, number one, we've seen
that it's a household, isn't it? Look up please.
We've seen that the promise is a household, right?
It's also a land, okay? It is also a city, all
right? Now we'll see that this same concept is
what it refers to the church. The land is also
called the church of Jesus Christ. Hebrews chapter
12, verse 22. Hebrews chapter 12, verse 22. Hebrews
12, 22 to 24. But you have come to Mount Zion
and to the city. City simply means what? People,
right? Family, household, land. What else? Did
you see from scriptures that we've seen? People,
right? We have come to a people, we have come
to a city of the living God. That means that
these people are of the living God. This household
is what? It's of the living God. The heavenly
Jerusalem, the spiritual Jerusalem, not the one
in the Middle East, a spiritual one. Okay? To
an immeasurable company of angels. Let's continue
verse 23. To the general assemblies, assembly
of people, right? Not the one in New York. General
assembly of people. Which is what? The church
of what? the firstborn who are registered not
in CAC, Nigeria, but were registered in heaven.
To God, the judge of all, to the spirit of a
just, made perfect. 24. To Jesus, the mediator
of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling
that speaks better things than that of Abel.
Hallelujah. So we've moved from seeing it as
what? We've introduced another name for it. It's
called what? A church. So what did Abraham see?
What was promised to Abraham? A people, right?
And we can trace this down and we'll see the
evolution to the concept we call, what we call
a church. And a church is what? Is it this building?
It's what? It's a people. So are you part of
the promise that God promised Abraham? Are you
in the promise of Abraham? Hallelujah. So having
seen what God has started, okay, please bear
me to conclude. Having seen what God has started
from the foundation of the world, what did he
start? A building, a project, right? From the
foundation of the world, building a house, which
is a family of God, also referred to as a land.
We now have another term to describe it, the
church of Jesus Christ. Now we can also refer
to this house. Is that the house of David? Is
that the house of David? Amen? Answer me. Yes?
Okay. Now let's see God's promise. Let's see
how it was promised to David. 2 Samuel, 2 Samuel
7 verse 11. 2 Samuel 7 verse 11 to 13. You see
that this house was called the house of David.
The household of David. Yes. Since the time that
I commanded Judas to be over my people, Israel,
I have caused you to rest from all your enemies.
And also the Lord tells you that he will make
you a what? He will make you a house. When your
days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers,
I will set up your seat. Seat also, you see.
I will set up your seat. After you. Who is this
seed? The seed was promised to Abraham. It was
promised to Jacob. And now we see it to David.
Who is this seed? The seed is Christ. Right?
Now, the seed after you is not Solomon. Forget
about Solomon. Look at Christ. Your seed after
you, who will come from your body and establish
his kingdom. Another word for that church. His
what? His kingdom. Alright? He shall build a
house for my name and I will establish the throne
of his kingdom. When? You know, the promise of
the house of David is the house of David will
be forever. Referring to the kingdom which will
live forever. Are we together? So the house in
verse 11 is also referred to as a household.
Okay? He's referring to a household of people.
God further calls it a kingdom in verse 12. And
13. The house is also the kingdom. So, what was
promised to Abraham? A kingdom. A people. A house.
A household. A family. Amen? So Isaiah will let
us prophesy about the keys of the house of David.
Amen? So what we say the keys of the house of
David, you know where we are headed to us? We
are headed to us Matthew 16 verse 19. Alright?
The keys of the house of David. Isaiah 22 verse
22 to 23. Isaiah 22 verse 22 to 23. And then
we ran up. The key of the house of David. What
is the house of David? Is it the kingdom of David?
Is it referring to the people of David? I will
lay on his shoulders. On whose shoulders? On
Jesus, of course, the Christ. So he shall open
and no one shall shut. I shall shut and no one
shall open. Verse 23. I will fasten him as a
peg in a secure place and he will become a glorious
throne to his father's house. Hallelujah. Now
Jesus Christ is called a son of David. Matthew
chapter 1 verse 1. He's called a seed of Jacob.
Isaac and Abraham. Matthew 1 verse 1. The book
of the genealogy of Jesus Christ. The what? The
son of David and the son of Abraham. So, here
you have access to the keys of the house of David.
Alright? We see that Jesus, the son of David,
possesses the key to the house of David. The
house of David is also referred to as the kingdom
of David. Now with this key of the house with
which is called the kingdom, he shall open and
no one shall shut. He shall shut and no one shall
open. And we see the same key. We see the same
key that Jesus sees in Matthew. Final scripture.
Final, final, final for today. Final for today.
Matthew 16, verse 19. This same key. And I will
give you what? The keys of what? Of the kingdom
of heaven. Now, is this kingdom the kingdom of
David? Is this the kingdom that was promised
to Abraham? Is this the people of God? Is this
the family of God? Is this the, what is the word?
The household of God? I will give you the keys
of the kingdom of heaven. And whatever you bind,
does it look familiar to whatever you open and
close and shut? And whatever you bind on earth
will be bound in heaven. Meaning that it is a
spiritual conversation, right? And whatever you
lose on earth will be lost in heaven. Hallelujah.
So what we're able to establish today is that
when we talk about kingdom, we're referring to
what? What God started from the beginning. So
the vision of God, the plan of God from the beginning
is a family. It's a people. It's a household.
Hallelujah. And then Jesus said, I give you,
he's referring to Peter, specifically here, I
give you the keys of the kingdom. So the question
is, what is the keys of the kingdom? Now, do
you know what the kingdom is? Without reasonable
doubt. Okay? We know what this kingdom is. Are
we together? So next time, hopefully. We'll try
to understand what is this key? Is it master
key? Maybe we'll come with key on Sunday and
we'll show, we'll duplicate the key and give
everybody. Hallelujah. Let's rise on our feet.
Let's rise on our feet. And thank God that we
are included in this family of God. Let's appreciate
God that we are part of this project that God
started from the foundation of the world. That
indeed, God's plan is eternal. He thought of
us right from the foundation of the world. He
thought about you. He had you in mind. What was
thinking of you? He was thinking of me. He was
thinking of all of us. He would tell Abraham
as the dust of the earth. so shall your descendants
be. And God is the father of the house. He is
the king of this kingdom. He is the shepherd
of this family. What a glorious opportunity to
be part of God's family. What a glorious privilege
to be part of God's church. What a glorious opportunity
to be part of God's plan. An eternal plan. A
plan that will never end. What a consolation
to be part of God's family. That God was thinking
of you, specifically about you. Not only that,
he has given us, now to Peter and to us, the
keys. And we say keys, refer to access into the
kingdom. We have access into the kingdom. We
can bring men into the kingdom because we have
access to the kingdom. Let's pray and say, Father,
in this season, let me have more understanding
of all that you have for me. We prayed from Ephesians
1 verse 15 previously. We may comprehend what
we have in Christ. Of all we have understanding
of what we have in Christ, we can walk in it.
That's how we understand, we begin to manifest
the kingdom. Okay? We see the kingdom in manifestation.
We see the kingdom of God in display. My life
becomes an instrument by which the family of
God is displayed. The works of God is displayed.
The plan and the purpose of God is displayed.
What God has prepared is displayed for His glory
and for His honor. 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
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with someone you care about. Until next time,
stay blessed.