WEBVTT

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Welcome to NECF Sermons. Each message here is

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designed to uplift and strengthen you in your

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walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until

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the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive

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right in. Thank you, Holy Spirit. Thank you,

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Father. Thank you, Lord. So I receive revelation.

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I receive revelation of your word. I walk by

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revelation. My eyes are open. Your word is revealed

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to me. And I walk by the power of your word.

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Your name is exalted. The name is exalted. By

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the entrance of your word, I receive understanding.

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I receive liberty. And I live by the power of

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your word. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Hallelujah.

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Let's have our seats. I hope you can hear me

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well. Can you all hear me? All right. And oftentimes

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when we read the Bible and we see different miracles

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that Jesus performed, it amazes us. We see the

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power of God at work in healing the sick. We

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see the power of God at work. In making the blind

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see, the lame walk, the dead reason from the

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dead. And one of the important miracles that

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we don't really put to consideration is Jesus

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speaking to 5 ,000 without a microphone. And

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they will see, hear him, understand him. Hallelujah.

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So I just want you to be attentive, okay? And

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pay attention to what we're doing. And I want

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to encourage you to keep praying for the church,

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all right? That we will have a much more conducive

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environment and that we can utilize our facilities

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at all times. And then worship God effectively.

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Hallelujah. Matthew 16. Matthew 16 from verse

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18. Let me read from verse 18. I'll read verse

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18 and verse 19 together. And I also say to you,

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Simon Barajas. Okay. And I also say to you that

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you are Peter. And on this rock, I will build

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my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail

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against it. And I will give you the keys. Look

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at verse 18 attentively, verse 19 carefully.

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It says, and I will give you the key of what?

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Let's read verse 19 together. All of us, let's

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look at the screen and read it together. One,

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two, go. and I will give you the keys of the

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kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth

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will be bound in heaven, and whatever you lose

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on earth will be loosed in heaven. Hallelujah.

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Now, on Sunday, we established two important

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fundamental things that I said will help us as

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we continue our study on the kingdom of God,

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of course, which we also refer to as the kingdom

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of heaven. And we said, we look at two things.

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And what are those two things? The foundation

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of the world and what? And the end of the age

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or what we call the end of the world. All right.

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And we said, God began a project from when? From

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the foundation of the world. God began a work

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from the foundation of the world. And we say

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that the foundation of the world refers to which

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part of scripture? From Genesis, right? We'll

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begin to see the plan of God. We'll begin to

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see the purpose of God. We'll begin to see the

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activity that God began. All right? And then

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this work that God began will be completed or

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will be brought to its conclusion at the end

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of the age or at the end of the world. The completion

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of God's work at the end of the world. Hallelujah.

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And we say that the end of the world is not what?

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It's not meaning that the earth that we are,

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the physical earth we are, will be destroyed.

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As seen in Matthew 24, you know, the questions

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that the disciples were asking Jesus Christ,

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you know, when will the end of the age be? And

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we study contextually and we say that this is

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not referring to the destruction of the world

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as normally discussed from that particular passage.

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So we also mention again on Sunday that there

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is a concept in scripture. And what's that concept

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that is consistent through our scripture? The

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idea of building, right? The idea of construction,

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the idea of building. And then we say that the

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foundation is in Genesis. And the end of this

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building is what we will call the end of the

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world. Therefore, we concluded that the end of

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the world has a positive word connotation. and

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not a negative one. So when we say the end of

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the world, it's not something that we should

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be scared of. Isn't it? When we say the end of

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the world, it's not something that should terrify

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the believer because we understand what that

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is. It is about the work that God is doing on

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the face of the earth. So it would be wrong to

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associate this with the destruction of the world.

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Hallelujah. Now I want us to continue on our

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story of the kingdom of God. Let's turn to Mark

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chapter 11. A passage I think Brother read for

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us earlier on in John. Yes, John. Is it John

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or Mark? John chapter 2. Well, let's read from

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Mark and we'll come to that one. Mark chapter

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11. Mark chapter 11. From verse 15. Mark chapter

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11. From verse 15. Mark 11. from verse 15 to

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19. So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went

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into the temple and began to drive out those

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who bought and sold in the temple and overturned

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the tables of the money changers and the seats

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of those who sold doves. And he would not allow

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anyone to carry wares throughout the temple.

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Then he taught to them, saying, Is it not written,

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My Father's house shall be called a house of

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prayer for all nations? But you have made it

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a den of thieves. And the scribes and the chief

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priests heard it and sought how they might destroy

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him. For they feared him, because all the people

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were astonished at the teaching. Verse 19. When

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Eve had come, he went out of the city. Hallelujah.

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Now, whenever we read this part of the scripture,

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what really draws our attention is the activity

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of Jesus Christ. That he made a whip, a court,

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and then when we watch the movie, most of the

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movies we watch, what was the name of this movie?

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Passion of Christ, right? The Passion of Christ

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and many of them. We see how Jesus was flogging

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people out of the temple and the drama is focused

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on Jesus. flogging people and, you know, overturning

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the table of the money changers and scattering

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places and making things happen. But there's

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more to it than this. Hallelujah. So now, why

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was they buying and selling the temple? That's

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the first thing we should ask ourselves. Why

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was they buying and selling the temple? Why was

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they buying and selling the temple? Was they

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buying and selling something bad or evil? that

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Jesus had to come and then flog them out because

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they were buying and selling in his house. Amen?

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Now, we can only speculate, all right, that there

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were some shady deals happening in the temple

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because the scripture did not clearly put it

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for us in that context. So oftentimes, people

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will say, oh, these people were doing some dirty

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deals, you know. Or they've turned the house

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of God, instead of people where people come and

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pray, they've turned it into transaction, a business

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center. Now it is essential to note that various

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types of animals, because we see the table that

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was scattered, right? Various types of animals,

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oxen, sheep and doves were sold in the temple

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for those who required them for the sacrifice

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mandated by the Lord of Moses. So the temple

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worship, comprises sacrifice of animals. Okay?

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Sometimes they sacrifice doves, sheep, and oxen.

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So Jews who travel from far and wide wouldn't

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need to carry animals on their journey because

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Jews were scattered all around the world. So

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imagine the Jews in, let's say Jews in Africa,

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Ethiopia, as an example now. If they are traveling

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for temple sacrifice, if they are traveling maybe

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to Israel to go and worship in the temple, they

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don't need to carry animals from where they are

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coming from, to the temple. Hallelujah. They

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knew that when they arrive, there will be provision.

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All right? And they will have supply for what

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they will use for the sacrifice. So they don't

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need to carry, you know, animals alongside with

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them. He said, they will bring the money from

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wherever they are coming from. and exchange it

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and buy the required animals for the sacrifice

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with the specified, you know, specifications.

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Because, you know, there is specification to

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the kind of animals you sacrifice. When you read

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through Deuteronomy, through all the testimony,

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you see the specification of the kind of animals

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that should be sacrificed in the worship in the

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temple. So obviously, when you come to the temple,

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you find this available. And what you do is that

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you... Come with the money from wherever you're

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coming from and there's exchange that happened.

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Some of you do money exchange. They'll exchange

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the money for the currency and then they'll get

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the animals and then they'll do the temple activity

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they need to do. Hallelujah. So it is important

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to note that the action Jesus took, the action

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that Jesus took was an illustration of a teaching

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he gave in the temple. Okay, what action are

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we talking about? The action of the overturning

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of the table of the money exchangers and the

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dust ceiling in the temple was an illustration.

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It is an illustration of the teaching. Did Jesus

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teach in the temple? Verse 17. Give me verse

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17. Let's look at verse 17. Let's look at verse

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17. Then he taught. So it means that Jesus did

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not only come into the temple and scatter their

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table and walk away. Right? There was something

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that Jesus did in the temple. And it was a teaching

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ministry. We will look at it from other rendition

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of it in other gospels that it was a days long

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activity. Then he taught saying, he taught, he

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taught. Amen? This is it. This is the subject

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of his teaching for all those days. This is the

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subject of his teaching for those days. as he

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overturned the table of the money exchangers

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and those that sold in the temple, saying to

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them, is it not written that my house, whose

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house? My house shall be called a house of prayer

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for how many nations? For all nations. Okay?

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But you have made it a den of thieves. So Jesus

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taught in the temple. There was a teaching that

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happened in the temple. Now let's read from other

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accounts to get a complete picture of what happened

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in the temple. Matthew 21 verse 12. Matthew 21

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verse 12 to 17. Then Jesus went into the temple

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of God and drove out all in the temple who sold

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in the temple and overtook the table of the money

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changers. Help me now. What I do? Which verse

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are we? Verse 13. And he said to them, it is

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written, my house shall be called a house of

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prayer. But you have made it a den of thieves.

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Then the blind, look at what happened again.

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Not what happened in the temple. We didn't see

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this in Mark, right? So it's only teaching that

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happened in the temple. What happened again?

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Then the blind, okay? And the lame came to him

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in the temple. The blind and the lame came to

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him in the temple. Note carefully that in the

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temple that was established, the blind and the

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lame were not permitted to come into the temple

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by law. Are we together? But now we see the blind

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and the lame came to him in the temple. And what

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did he do? He healed them. So we see Jesus taught

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and Jesus healed. All right, verse 15. But when

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the chief priest and the scribe saw the wonderful

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things that he did, and the children crying out

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in the temple, which means that there were children

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in the temple, of course, Hosanna to the son

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of David. They called Jesus the son of David.

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Was Jesus the son of David? He was the son of

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Joseph. But they were able to see him from the

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light of the scriptures that he is the son of

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David. Hallelujah. He has taught based on the

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teaching he has done. Okay. Hosanna to the son

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of David. They were indignant. Who was indignant?

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The Pharisees, right? And he said to him, do

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you hear what these are saying? And Jesus said

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to them, yes. Have you never read out of the

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mouth of babes and nosy infants? You have perfected

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praise. Verse 17. Then he left them and went

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out of the city to Bethany. And he lodged there.

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So from Mark, we didn't see his destination,

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but here we could see additional information,

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giving us a complete picture of what happened

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there. Hallelujah. So what do we see more? Jesus

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healed the blind and the lame in the temple.

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Now Luke chapter 19, verse 45. Luke chapter 19,

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verse 45 to 48. 19 verse 45. Luke chapter 19

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verse 45 to 48. Then he went into the temple

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and began to drive out those who bought and sold

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in it, saying to them, It is written, My house

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is a house of prayer, but you have made it a

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den of thieves. And he was teaching. He was what?

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How was he teaching? We see another additional

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information. He was teaching daily in the temple.

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Context, full picture. He was teaching daily

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in the temple. But the chief priest, the scribes,

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and the leaders of the people sought to destroy

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him. Verse 48, the last one here. And were unable

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to do so, to do anything. For all the people

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were what? Were very attentive to him. Hallelujah.

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So we will understand from verse 47. Jesus was

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what? Spent some days in the temple teaching.

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Alright? Now, John chapter 2, verse 13 to 22.

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John chapter 2, verse 13 to 22, where we prayed

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about zeal. Alright? Now the Passover of the

00:17:07.920 --> 00:17:11.920
Jews was at hand. So now, this passage gave us

00:17:11.920 --> 00:17:19.710
the time that that happened. close to the Passover.

00:17:19.809 --> 00:17:22.109
Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand and

00:17:22.109 --> 00:17:26.190
Jesus went up to Jerusalem and he found in the

00:17:26.190 --> 00:17:28.849
temple those who sold. So the reason why he said

00:17:28.849 --> 00:17:31.289
Passover was because the Passover usually is

00:17:31.289 --> 00:17:33.950
a big occasion, right? Where we have a lot of

00:17:33.950 --> 00:17:36.430
people travel to celebrate it. Very important.

00:17:36.690 --> 00:17:39.509
And he found in the temple those who sold oxen

00:17:39.509 --> 00:17:41.690
and sheep and doves and the money changers doing

00:17:41.690 --> 00:17:46.410
business. When he had made a whip of court, now

00:17:46.410 --> 00:17:50.089
we have a picture of how he did it. In Nigeria,

00:17:50.230 --> 00:17:55.349
we call it koboko. I don't know what you call

00:17:55.349 --> 00:18:01.569
it in Liberia or in Zimbabwe or in Kenya. There's

00:18:01.569 --> 00:18:05.250
a special whip or a cane they use in beating

00:18:05.250 --> 00:18:08.349
thieves. And sometimes they hang it in our homes.

00:18:09.430 --> 00:18:11.230
And if you are not behaving, it will be used

00:18:11.230 --> 00:18:14.599
on you. So when he had made a whip of coats,

00:18:14.819 --> 00:18:18.819
he drove them all out of the temple with the

00:18:18.819 --> 00:18:26.539
sheep and the oxen and poured out the changers'

00:18:26.559 --> 00:18:31.920
money and overturned the tables. And he said

00:18:31.920 --> 00:18:34.380
to those who sold doves, take these things away.

00:18:35.200 --> 00:18:37.759
Do not make my father's house a house of what

00:18:37.759 --> 00:18:41.960
merchandise. Then his disciples remembered. What

00:18:41.960 --> 00:18:45.700
did they remember? It was written, zeal for what?

00:18:46.960 --> 00:18:50.079
Underline house. Zeal for your house has eaten

00:18:50.079 --> 00:18:53.660
me up. So the Jews answered and said to him,

00:18:53.779 --> 00:18:58.880
what sign do you, remember the context that has

00:18:58.880 --> 00:19:01.319
been teaching, that has been teaching, and they

00:19:01.319 --> 00:19:04.240
understood what he was teaching. All right? So

00:19:04.240 --> 00:19:06.539
the Jews answered and said to him, what sign

00:19:06.539 --> 00:19:09.519
do you show us since you do these things? Which

00:19:09.519 --> 00:19:13.180
things? The healing and all that happened there,

00:19:13.240 --> 00:19:19.559
the teaching and everything. And then the illustration

00:19:19.559 --> 00:19:24.920
of the scattering of the table and then the chasing

00:19:24.920 --> 00:19:27.339
out of the money changers and the sheep. Jesus

00:19:27.339 --> 00:19:30.440
answers and said to them, destroy this what?

00:19:30.819 --> 00:19:36.799
This temple. Which temple? And in two days I

00:19:36.799 --> 00:19:41.789
will raise it up. Right? Then the Jew said, it

00:19:41.789 --> 00:19:45.490
has taken 46 years to build this temple. How

00:19:45.490 --> 00:19:49.869
will you raise it up in three days? But he was

00:19:49.869 --> 00:19:52.829
speaking of what? Of the temple of his body.

00:19:54.250 --> 00:19:58.029
Okay? Therefore, when he had risen from the dead,

00:19:58.150 --> 00:20:02.089
his disciples remembered what he had said this,

00:20:02.349 --> 00:20:05.789
that he had said this to them. And they believed

00:20:05.789 --> 00:20:08.720
the scripture. What did they believe? The word

00:20:08.720 --> 00:20:12.339
of Jesus or the scriptures? They believed the

00:20:12.339 --> 00:20:15.240
scriptures because Jesus was speaking from the

00:20:15.240 --> 00:20:18.640
scriptures. They believed the scriptures and

00:20:18.640 --> 00:20:23.980
the word which Jesus had said. Hallelujah. So

00:20:23.980 --> 00:20:27.440
declaring of a temple of sellers, of oxen, sheep

00:20:27.440 --> 00:20:32.339
and dove is Jesus declaring the fulfillment of

00:20:32.339 --> 00:20:37.680
prophecy. Okay? Jesus is declaring a fulfillment

00:20:37.680 --> 00:20:40.279
of prophecy. And we're going to see what a prophecy

00:20:40.279 --> 00:20:44.880
is. The system of animal sacrifice will come

00:20:44.880 --> 00:20:47.140
to an end. That was what Jesus was declaring.

00:20:48.240 --> 00:20:52.099
That a system of animal sacrifices, the system

00:20:52.099 --> 00:20:55.779
of slaughtering, doves, sheep and oxen for the

00:20:55.779 --> 00:20:59.779
sake of, you know, sacrificing to God for sins

00:20:59.779 --> 00:21:04.779
will end, will be over. Jesus was illustrating

00:21:04.779 --> 00:21:07.380
his teaching by clearing the table of the martyrs,

00:21:07.619 --> 00:21:10.559
declaring that there will be no need for this

00:21:10.559 --> 00:21:16.559
sacrifice. Hallelujah. Also, healing of a sick

00:21:16.559 --> 00:21:20.140
is an illustration of the forgiveness of sins.

00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:24.559
The lame and the blind coming into the temple

00:21:24.559 --> 00:21:27.700
is counter -cultural. I said earlier on that

00:21:27.700 --> 00:21:30.059
they were not permitted to come into the temple.

00:21:31.529 --> 00:21:34.089
But we see Jesus always goes against culture

00:21:34.089 --> 00:21:38.049
and enforcing the culture that God desires to

00:21:38.049 --> 00:21:43.109
see manifest. Hallelujah. So Jesus is teaching

00:21:43.109 --> 00:21:46.170
that in the new system of worship, there's no

00:21:46.170 --> 00:21:52.789
barrier. Okay? There's no barrier. Now let us

00:21:52.789 --> 00:21:54.990
consider the text. Let's go and study the text,

00:21:55.069 --> 00:21:57.410
the sermon, the text to which Jesus was teaching

00:21:57.410 --> 00:22:08.000
from. Isaiah 56. From verse 1. Isaiah 56 from

00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:13.640
verse 1. We read from verse 1 to verse 8. Thus

00:22:13.640 --> 00:22:18.660
says the Lord, keep justice and do righteousness.

00:22:19.759 --> 00:22:24.880
For my salvation is about to come and my righteousness

00:22:24.880 --> 00:22:29.400
to be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this.

00:22:30.140 --> 00:22:33.500
And a son of man who lays hold on it, who keeps

00:22:33.500 --> 00:22:38.720
from defiling the Sabbath and keeps his hand

00:22:38.720 --> 00:22:42.380
from doing any evil. Do not let the son of the

00:22:42.380 --> 00:22:47.099
foreigner. Do not let the son of who? Of the

00:22:47.099 --> 00:22:50.079
foreigner. Who is this foreigner? Who has joined

00:22:50.079 --> 00:22:53.200
himself to the Lord. Speak. Say. Now the foreigner

00:22:53.200 --> 00:22:57.160
will mean someone that is not Jewish. Alright?

00:22:57.849 --> 00:22:59.930
The foreigner will mean someone that is not part

00:22:59.930 --> 00:23:03.509
of the nation of Israel. Do not let the son of

00:23:03.509 --> 00:23:06.970
the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord

00:23:06.970 --> 00:23:11.009
speak saying, the Lord has utterly separated

00:23:11.009 --> 00:23:14.690
me from his people. Nor let the Enoch say, here

00:23:14.690 --> 00:23:19.690
I am, a dry tree. For thus says the Lord to the

00:23:19.690 --> 00:23:22.470
Enoch who keep my Sabbath and choose what pleases

00:23:22.470 --> 00:23:26.289
me and hold fast my covenant. Even to them I

00:23:26.289 --> 00:23:30.019
will give. In my house. Even to them I will give

00:23:30.019 --> 00:23:34.900
what? In my house and within my walls, house.

00:23:35.559 --> 00:23:37.799
See, most of the scriptures we keep reading,

00:23:37.880 --> 00:23:41.039
you see temple, house, building. Take note, alright?

00:23:41.200 --> 00:23:43.279
Very important. Even though to them I will give

00:23:43.279 --> 00:23:48.640
in my house and with my walls a place and a name

00:23:48.640 --> 00:23:52.519
better than that of sons and daughters. I will

00:23:52.519 --> 00:23:55.880
give them an everlasting name that shall not

00:23:55.880 --> 00:23:59.029
be cut off. Also, the sons of the foreigner.

00:23:59.210 --> 00:24:00.769
Remember the foreigner? Who is the foreigner?

00:24:02.029 --> 00:24:05.910
A non -Jew, right? Who joins himself to the Lord

00:24:05.910 --> 00:24:08.450
to serve him, which means that the foreigner

00:24:08.450 --> 00:24:14.529
has decided, has become part of the nation of

00:24:14.529 --> 00:24:16.890
Israel, isn't it? To serve the Lord. To serve

00:24:16.890 --> 00:24:21.289
him and to love the name of the Lord. To be his

00:24:21.289 --> 00:24:24.930
servants. Everyone who keeps from defiling the

00:24:24.930 --> 00:24:31.109
Sabbath. And hold fast my covenant. Even them

00:24:31.109 --> 00:24:34.869
I will bring to my holy mountain. Mountain? Mountain?

00:24:35.009 --> 00:24:39.069
And make them joyful in my what? In my house

00:24:39.069 --> 00:24:43.869
of prayer. House of prayer. And make them joyful

00:24:43.869 --> 00:24:46.329
in my house of prayer. Their bond of friends

00:24:46.329 --> 00:24:50.009
and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar

00:24:50.009 --> 00:24:53.589
for my house of what? Familiar? Is familiar?

00:24:54.420 --> 00:24:59.460
For my house, O Lord, shall be called a house

00:24:59.460 --> 00:25:03.180
of prayer for how many nations? So what will

00:25:03.180 --> 00:25:07.180
all these nations encapsulate? What is all nations?

00:25:08.279 --> 00:25:13.180
Jew and non -Jew alike. All nations means humanity.

00:25:13.420 --> 00:25:18.319
It means all people. Hallelujah. My house shall

00:25:18.319 --> 00:25:22.359
be a house of prayer for who? For all nations.

00:25:22.380 --> 00:25:26.109
Verse 8. The Lord God who gathers the archers

00:25:26.109 --> 00:25:28.450
of Israel, the archers of Israel, those who are

00:25:28.450 --> 00:25:31.710
not part of Israel, says, yet I will gather to

00:25:31.710 --> 00:25:35.569
him others. Who are these others? Others beside

00:25:35.569 --> 00:25:40.210
those who are gathered to him. Hallelujah. So

00:25:40.210 --> 00:25:43.049
God's plan is for who? It's for all nations.

00:25:43.549 --> 00:25:48.150
Amen. That all nations will be part of this worship.

00:25:48.569 --> 00:25:50.990
That these all nations will come into the house

00:25:50.990 --> 00:25:53.910
of the Lord, which is a house of prayer. for

00:25:53.910 --> 00:25:56.589
all nations. So we consider, according to the

00:25:56.589 --> 00:25:59.230
prophecy that Jesus was teaching from, the house

00:25:59.230 --> 00:26:03.609
of prayer is for all people. Not just Israel.

00:26:04.269 --> 00:26:08.829
It includes the foreigner. Amen? And the prophecy

00:26:08.829 --> 00:26:12.730
brings all nations into God's house. So God's

00:26:12.730 --> 00:26:18.369
house is for all nations. It's for all men. It's

00:26:18.369 --> 00:26:21.890
for all people. Nations means what? It means

00:26:21.890 --> 00:26:24.859
people. Let's go back a bit. Isaiah chapter 2.

00:26:24.960 --> 00:26:27.960
Isaiah chapter 2. I mean, in this short, this

00:26:27.960 --> 00:26:30.599
one will be familiar to us. Isaiah chapter 2,

00:26:30.740 --> 00:26:37.259
verse 1 to 3. The word that Isaiah, the son of

00:26:37.259 --> 00:26:41.779
Amos, so concerning Judah and Jerusalem. Now

00:26:41.779 --> 00:26:45.140
it shall come to pass in the latter days. Amen.

00:26:45.160 --> 00:26:49.720
What latter days? Latter days. It's a time and

00:26:49.720 --> 00:26:53.339
season in scripture. Amen. There's another scripture

00:26:53.339 --> 00:26:56.759
that talks about latter days. The latter house,

00:26:56.839 --> 00:27:00.819
right, shall be what? Shall be greater. Latter

00:27:00.819 --> 00:27:04.539
house, latter days. Latter days that the mountain

00:27:04.539 --> 00:27:08.019
of the Lord's house, the mountain of the Lord's

00:27:08.019 --> 00:27:13.140
house, shall what? Be established on what? On

00:27:13.140 --> 00:27:17.539
the top of the mountains. On the top of the mountains.

00:27:20.170 --> 00:27:25.150
and shall be exalted above the hill. And how

00:27:25.150 --> 00:27:30.049
many nations? All nations shall flow to it. From

00:27:30.049 --> 00:27:31.849
all over the world, all nations shall flow to

00:27:31.849 --> 00:27:37.289
it. Many people shall come and say, come, let

00:27:37.289 --> 00:27:39.930
us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the

00:27:39.930 --> 00:27:43.829
house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his

00:27:43.829 --> 00:27:48.680
ways and we shall walk in his paths. For out

00:27:48.680 --> 00:27:51.940
of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of

00:27:51.940 --> 00:27:57.359
the Lord from Jerusalem. Hallelujah. So all nations

00:27:57.359 --> 00:28:01.900
shall flow to the house of God. The house of

00:28:01.900 --> 00:28:04.380
God will be constituted of people from where?

00:28:05.039 --> 00:28:11.279
From every tribe. From every race. Okay? From

00:28:11.279 --> 00:28:17.559
every tongue. Alright? From every gender. And

00:28:17.559 --> 00:28:20.140
etc. Hallelujah. Male and female, that's what

00:28:20.140 --> 00:28:25.319
I mean. Don't misquote me. Now let us ask, can

00:28:25.319 --> 00:28:28.180
a fiscal house or a temple carry people from

00:28:28.180 --> 00:28:34.220
all nations? Is there a building ever in history

00:28:34.220 --> 00:28:42.319
that can carry all nations in one place? It's

00:28:42.319 --> 00:28:45.579
impossible. Even the one that Solomon built.

00:28:46.170 --> 00:28:50.309
All nations cannot enter it. Even the one that

00:28:50.309 --> 00:28:53.250
the Jews, the disciples, they were asking Jesus,

00:28:53.470 --> 00:28:57.549
where will the destruction happen? Even that

00:28:57.549 --> 00:29:01.130
one cannot carry all nations. Hallelujah. So

00:29:01.130 --> 00:29:03.890
it will mean that this house is not something

00:29:03.890 --> 00:29:07.569
physical. Alright? It's not a physical temple.

00:29:07.650 --> 00:29:11.569
It's not a physical house. Are we together? It's

00:29:11.569 --> 00:29:16.460
not something material. Therefore, it means that

00:29:16.460 --> 00:29:19.559
the customs, from where we read earlier on, that

00:29:19.559 --> 00:29:25.200
the customs of animal sacrifice in a physical

00:29:25.200 --> 00:29:30.980
temple will come to an end and a new system will

00:29:30.980 --> 00:29:34.279
be instituted. That is what Jesus was teaching

00:29:34.279 --> 00:29:38.160
in the temple. Hallelujah. Do you know that the

00:29:38.160 --> 00:29:39.940
evil Solomon, when he dueled the temple, let's

00:29:39.940 --> 00:29:44.359
turn to 1 Kings 8 verse 27. Solomon, even when

00:29:44.359 --> 00:29:46.819
he built the temple, he was the first person

00:29:46.819 --> 00:29:49.180
to build the temple, right? Was he the one that

00:29:49.180 --> 00:29:52.119
established the temple? Who started the work

00:29:52.119 --> 00:29:57.420
of the temple? It was David, right? David mobilized

00:29:57.420 --> 00:30:01.740
resources. David prepared for the work. And God

00:30:01.740 --> 00:30:03.799
said, no, no, no, you can't build a temple. You

00:30:03.799 --> 00:30:07.079
can't build a temple. Why? Because you've done

00:30:07.079 --> 00:30:13.920
so many things that your hand carry. He has done

00:30:13.920 --> 00:30:17.319
so many wars. Let's look at Solomon who built

00:30:17.319 --> 00:30:21.140
the temple. He said this at the dedication of

00:30:21.140 --> 00:30:23.039
the temple. He said, but will God indeed dwell

00:30:23.039 --> 00:30:27.839
on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of

00:30:27.839 --> 00:30:32.839
the heavens cannot contain you. Amen. How much

00:30:32.839 --> 00:30:36.579
less this what? This temple which I have built.

00:30:37.380 --> 00:30:39.740
So what he's trying to say that God cannot, God

00:30:39.740 --> 00:30:44.859
will not even live in that temple. Amen? What

00:30:44.859 --> 00:30:46.400
he's saying is that God will not live in that

00:30:46.400 --> 00:30:51.759
physical temple. It's just an illustration of

00:30:51.759 --> 00:30:55.200
the real thing that God is doing. Hallelujah.

00:30:56.440 --> 00:30:59.980
Amen? So the physical temple was meant to be

00:30:59.980 --> 00:31:02.859
an illustration and not the eternal structure

00:31:02.859 --> 00:31:06.420
and not the permanent one. It's not the real

00:31:06.420 --> 00:31:07.660
thing. That is why Jesus would say this thing

00:31:07.660 --> 00:31:12.359
will go down. Amen? This that you see that you've

00:31:12.359 --> 00:31:14.279
adorned, that you turn it into a ritual house.

00:31:14.740 --> 00:31:18.160
First of all, it will be desecrated. Daniel will

00:31:18.160 --> 00:31:21.500
say that the solution that bring what? Am I saying

00:31:21.500 --> 00:31:24.019
the right thing? He prophesied of a destruction

00:31:24.019 --> 00:31:25.960
and Jesus came and then he said it in Matthew

00:31:25.960 --> 00:31:31.440
24. Hallelujah. So the plan is that the sacrifice

00:31:31.440 --> 00:31:37.259
in that temple will end. Hallelujah. So in John

00:31:37.259 --> 00:31:41.049
chapter 2, verse 18 to 22. The Jews asked Jesus

00:31:41.049 --> 00:31:44.589
for a sign. For what? What is a sign that they

00:31:44.589 --> 00:31:47.529
were asking for? They were asking for a sign

00:31:47.529 --> 00:31:50.670
for when the prophecy of Isaiah, which Jesus

00:31:50.670 --> 00:31:54.750
was teaching from, will come to pass. Now note,

00:31:54.750 --> 00:31:57.410
a sign refers to what? It refers to something

00:31:57.410 --> 00:32:02.670
that points to an event. Amen? A sign refers

00:32:02.670 --> 00:32:06.470
to something that points to an event. The sign

00:32:06.470 --> 00:32:11.049
is not the event itself. Okay? For example, now

00:32:11.049 --> 00:32:13.829
you're entering here with Nigeria, you see one

00:32:13.829 --> 00:32:17.630
big billboard. And you see an arrow pointing

00:32:17.630 --> 00:32:21.250
to where the gate is. When you stand by the gate,

00:32:21.329 --> 00:32:23.750
by that billboard, you are not at the university.

00:32:24.809 --> 00:32:27.349
That billboard is to point you to where the university

00:32:27.349 --> 00:32:29.730
is, right? Which means that the university is

00:32:29.730 --> 00:32:31.230
close by. If you look around, you'll see it.

00:32:31.769 --> 00:32:38.140
So a sign is a pointer to the main event. So

00:32:38.140 --> 00:32:40.779
Jesus said, destroy this temple. So which temple

00:32:40.779 --> 00:32:44.740
was he talking about? A physical temple? Listen,

00:32:45.700 --> 00:32:49.180
there is physical temple, okay? You must know

00:32:49.180 --> 00:32:50.900
which temple Jesus is speaking at every point

00:32:50.900 --> 00:32:54.339
in time. Now, destroy this temple is referring

00:32:54.339 --> 00:32:59.160
to what? It is referring to his body. Okay? Now,

00:32:59.180 --> 00:33:00.859
you cannot say anyway, see temple, it means the

00:33:00.859 --> 00:33:06.119
body of Christ. No. Context is important too.

00:33:06.490 --> 00:33:08.950
Finding meaning towards the scripture. Okay.

00:33:09.349 --> 00:33:14.210
So. Destroy this temple. And what? And I'll raise

00:33:14.210 --> 00:33:16.670
it up in three days. Now he was not referring

00:33:16.670 --> 00:33:18.849
to the physical temple as I said. But rather

00:33:18.849 --> 00:33:22.130
to his body. Meaning that he was referencing

00:33:22.130 --> 00:33:29.029
his death. Okay. So there's time. For what? For

00:33:29.029 --> 00:33:33.730
what will happen. Is his death. Okay. His burial.

00:33:33.970 --> 00:33:37.019
And his resurrection. When he dies. And he rises

00:33:37.019 --> 00:33:42.319
again, which will usher in a new system of worship.

00:33:42.599 --> 00:33:44.480
They ask him, show us a sign that this thing

00:33:44.480 --> 00:33:48.400
will happen, that this will end. He says, destroy

00:33:48.400 --> 00:33:51.859
this body, this temple, and I will rise it again.

00:33:52.539 --> 00:33:57.000
I will raise it again. And this becomes the point

00:33:57.000 --> 00:34:01.359
to which the new system of worship, a new temple,

00:34:01.500 --> 00:34:05.859
a new house, More glorious and more permanent

00:34:05.859 --> 00:34:09.099
than this that is physical will be established.

00:34:09.460 --> 00:34:14.300
Hallelujah. Now the Father's house is not a physical

00:34:14.300 --> 00:34:18.400
structure, right? The temple, we refer it to

00:34:18.400 --> 00:34:20.179
the temple, we refer it to the Father's house,

00:34:20.320 --> 00:34:23.460
right? It's not a physical structure. But it

00:34:23.460 --> 00:34:32.690
is what? It is people. Okay? It is people. It

00:34:32.690 --> 00:34:38.650
is people. John chapter 14. John chapter 14,

00:34:38.849 --> 00:34:46.269
verse 1 to 4. All right. Let not your heart be

00:34:46.269 --> 00:34:50.110
troubled. You believe in God, believe also in

00:34:50.110 --> 00:34:54.050
me. In my Father's house. What house are we talking

00:34:54.050 --> 00:34:56.929
about here? We begin to understand what that

00:34:56.929 --> 00:35:00.150
house is, right? In my Father's house are many

00:35:00.150 --> 00:35:04.630
mansions. If it were not so, I would have told

00:35:04.630 --> 00:35:12.750
you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if

00:35:12.750 --> 00:35:15.550
I go and prepare a place for you, I will come

00:35:15.550 --> 00:35:19.570
again and receive you to myself. The way I am,

00:35:19.590 --> 00:35:25.409
there you may be also. Amen. If you are new or

00:35:25.409 --> 00:35:27.949
you are just coming this semester, we have agreed

00:35:27.949 --> 00:35:32.920
before you came as a church. that this place,

00:35:33.000 --> 00:35:37.139
okay, it's not talking about heaven in the sense

00:35:37.139 --> 00:35:40.019
that there are mansions and houses in heaven.

00:35:40.360 --> 00:35:45.139
There is no Range Rover in heaven. There is no

00:35:45.139 --> 00:35:52.239
flats in heaven. Why are we, how did you come

00:35:52.239 --> 00:35:55.000
to this conclusion that this is not talking about

00:35:55.000 --> 00:36:00.639
buildings? First of all, we say that, he said,

00:36:00.699 --> 00:36:03.539
in my father's word, My father's house. We say

00:36:03.539 --> 00:36:05.079
that even by just reading it, it's not logical.

00:36:05.940 --> 00:36:07.900
How can a mansion, you know what a mansion is?

00:36:08.940 --> 00:36:12.199
Think of, what is a mansion? Your presidential

00:36:12.199 --> 00:36:14.460
villa, maybe from Kenya. What do they call the

00:36:14.460 --> 00:36:19.639
name? State house. State house. It's a name they

00:36:19.639 --> 00:36:21.780
call it. They put it at somebody's name, they

00:36:21.780 --> 00:36:26.579
use name in it. People don't want to speak. In

00:36:26.579 --> 00:36:30.039
Nigeria, they call it Asa Rock. Right? In America,

00:36:30.059 --> 00:36:33.369
they call it the wife house. They don't like

00:36:33.369 --> 00:36:40.389
Ruth too. But they voted him. Amen. So that's

00:36:40.389 --> 00:36:45.809
just by the way. Imagine in a house, it's a white

00:36:45.809 --> 00:36:48.530
house, a mansion in a house. Was it fitting?

00:36:49.369 --> 00:36:51.289
So first of all, by reading the English, you

00:36:51.289 --> 00:36:54.929
know that this is not adding up. Alright? Now

00:36:54.929 --> 00:36:57.289
contextually, the background of this text is

00:36:57.289 --> 00:37:01.980
that Jesus has informed his disciples about His

00:37:01.980 --> 00:37:05.420
death and also his betrayal. His betrayal and

00:37:05.420 --> 00:37:08.179
his death, obviously. Jesus told them that he

00:37:08.179 --> 00:37:11.119
will believe in them. Let's go back to chapter

00:37:11.119 --> 00:37:14.300
13, verse 31 to 36. John chapter 13, verse 31

00:37:14.300 --> 00:37:18.679
to 36. Please, let's be fast so that we can...

00:37:18.679 --> 00:37:25.059
Yes. John chapter 13, verse 31 to 36. We're trying

00:37:25.059 --> 00:37:28.119
to read and have understanding on chapter 14,

00:37:28.320 --> 00:37:31.369
verse 1 to 4. So when he had gone out, Jesus

00:37:31.369 --> 00:37:36.809
said, now the son of man is glorified. No. Yes,

00:37:36.929 --> 00:37:42.969
yes. Okay. He's glorified in him. If God is glorified

00:37:42.969 --> 00:37:46.690
in him, God will also glorify in himself and

00:37:46.690 --> 00:37:51.070
glorify him immediately. Little children, I shall

00:37:51.070 --> 00:37:53.369
be with you a little while. This is Jesus telling

00:37:53.369 --> 00:37:58.929
them. You will seek me. And as I said, to the

00:37:58.929 --> 00:38:02.929
Jews, where I am going, you cannot come. So now

00:38:02.929 --> 00:38:07.829
I say to you, a new commandment I give to you,

00:38:07.889 --> 00:38:11.230
that you love one another, as I have loved you,

00:38:11.269 --> 00:38:14.769
that you also love one another. By this, all

00:38:14.769 --> 00:38:18.769
will know that you are my disciples, if you have

00:38:18.769 --> 00:38:23.570
love one for another. Verse 36, this is where

00:38:23.570 --> 00:38:27.369
Peter asked him, he said, Simon Peter said to

00:38:27.369 --> 00:38:30.139
him, Lord, Where are you going? It's a question

00:38:30.139 --> 00:38:32.900
Peter asked, right? Where are you going? Jesus

00:38:32.900 --> 00:38:36.139
answered him, where I am going, you cannot follow

00:38:36.139 --> 00:38:40.219
me now. Okay? Where I am going, you cannot follow

00:38:40.219 --> 00:38:42.800
me where? Did Jesus say that Peter will not follow

00:38:42.800 --> 00:38:46.500
him? But what? The timing, right? He says, you

00:38:46.500 --> 00:38:50.539
cannot follow me where? Now. But you shall follow

00:38:50.539 --> 00:38:54.420
me when? Afterwards. So the problem is the timing.

00:38:54.599 --> 00:38:56.619
Peter said to him, Lord, because he didn't have

00:38:56.619 --> 00:39:00.969
understanding. Why can I not follow you now?

00:39:01.289 --> 00:39:03.510
I can just imagine conversation like a baby.

00:39:04.750 --> 00:39:08.230
Victor and his daughter, she like questions.

00:39:08.469 --> 00:39:15.349
Why can I not follow you now? I will lay down

00:39:15.349 --> 00:39:18.849
my life for your sake. That's Peter. Jesus answered

00:39:18.849 --> 00:39:21.949
him. Will you lay down your life for my sake?

00:39:23.230 --> 00:39:27.489
Most assuredly I say to you. the rooster shall

00:39:27.489 --> 00:39:31.369
crow, shall not crow, till you have denied me

00:39:31.369 --> 00:39:37.309
three times. Okay? Let's move to the next chapter.

00:39:37.590 --> 00:39:39.369
Then the conversation continues into the next

00:39:39.369 --> 00:39:41.690
chapter. Then he continues telling them, let

00:39:41.690 --> 00:39:44.449
not your heart be troubled. You believe in God,

00:39:44.489 --> 00:39:47.389
believe also in me. Okay? Now, this is Jesus

00:39:47.389 --> 00:39:51.030
answering the question now of Peter. Are we together?

00:39:51.610 --> 00:39:55.789
In my Father's house are many mansions. If it

00:39:55.789 --> 00:39:59.539
were not so, I will have told you, I go toward,

00:39:59.619 --> 00:40:02.099
so where he's going, he's going to prepare a

00:40:02.099 --> 00:40:08.360
place for you. All right? Verse three. And if

00:40:08.360 --> 00:40:10.519
I go and prepare a place for you, I will come

00:40:10.519 --> 00:40:14.440
again and receive you to myself. That where I

00:40:14.440 --> 00:40:24.440
am, there you may be also. Hallelujah. So in

00:40:24.440 --> 00:40:28.139
verse two, We see the word house and we've said,

00:40:28.199 --> 00:40:30.599
we've agreed, we've seen from scriptures that

00:40:30.599 --> 00:40:33.659
the word house there means what? Oikia, right?

00:40:34.699 --> 00:40:38.780
Referring to an inhabited edifice, a dwelling

00:40:38.780 --> 00:40:43.440
or a house, a household, household, people. All

00:40:43.440 --> 00:40:47.360
right. Additionally, the word mansions is derived

00:40:47.360 --> 00:40:51.119
from the Greek word money, which is also used

00:40:51.119 --> 00:40:54.429
in verse 23. Give me verse 23. Verse 23 of Rasen,

00:40:54.489 --> 00:41:01.150
John 14, 23. Jesus answered and said to him,

00:41:01.210 --> 00:41:04.489
if anyone loves me, he will keep my words and

00:41:04.489 --> 00:41:09.590
my father will love him and we will come to him

00:41:09.590 --> 00:41:12.550
and make our home with him. That home, right?

00:41:12.909 --> 00:41:16.969
Is that same word mansions or what we call money

00:41:16.969 --> 00:41:21.349
in the Greek. It means we make our dwelling place.

00:41:22.920 --> 00:41:26.900
This means that the mansion or what we call the

00:41:26.900 --> 00:41:31.059
money in Greek is a metaphor of God indwelling

00:41:31.059 --> 00:41:35.219
believers as we've seen in this verse 23. So

00:41:35.219 --> 00:41:40.400
what Jesus is saying is this, that in my father's

00:41:40.400 --> 00:41:44.920
household, in my father's family, meaning people,

00:41:45.219 --> 00:41:51.280
there is a dwelling for you. My goal is to what?

00:41:51.880 --> 00:41:54.519
is to prepare a place for you in this family.

00:41:56.360 --> 00:41:59.960
And this preparation will be seen in his death.

00:42:00.099 --> 00:42:03.340
He's going, he's going to die. And in his death,

00:42:03.480 --> 00:42:07.539
he's going to establish this access for them

00:42:07.539 --> 00:42:12.260
to be in the family of God. Through his death,

00:42:12.340 --> 00:42:15.719
Jesus will establish this. He will have to die

00:42:15.719 --> 00:42:19.780
for this to be achieved. So this idea of household,

00:42:20.969 --> 00:42:24.550
will be seen first in scriptures. House, not

00:42:24.550 --> 00:42:27.750
just household, but household of God. Right?

00:42:27.789 --> 00:42:30.849
The concept of the household of God will be seen

00:42:30.849 --> 00:42:36.449
first where? In Genesis 28. Where Jacob had an

00:42:36.449 --> 00:42:38.230
encounter. Let's go there. Let's go to Genesis

00:42:38.230 --> 00:42:49.420
chapter 28. Verse 10 to 18. We're trying to trace

00:42:49.420 --> 00:42:55.039
where the word household of God was used or was

00:42:55.039 --> 00:42:58.280
seen first. Now let's read from verse 10 to 18

00:42:58.280 --> 00:43:00.800
verses. Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and

00:43:00.800 --> 00:43:04.380
went towards Haran. So he came to a certain place

00:43:04.380 --> 00:43:07.139
and stayed there all night because the sun had

00:43:07.139 --> 00:43:10.239
set. And he took one of the stools of that place

00:43:10.239 --> 00:43:14.280
and put it at his head. And he lay down in that

00:43:14.280 --> 00:43:18.719
place to sleep. Then he dreamed and behold, this

00:43:18.719 --> 00:43:22.519
is his dream. A ladder was set. I can't see the

00:43:22.519 --> 00:43:26.320
screen here. Yes. A ladder was set on the earth

00:43:26.320 --> 00:43:31.179
and its tops reaches to the heavens. And there

00:43:31.179 --> 00:43:34.739
the angels of God were ascending and what? And

00:43:34.739 --> 00:43:45.300
descending on it. They were ascending and descending

00:43:45.300 --> 00:44:12.539
on it. And behold, the Lord stood above it and

00:44:12.539 --> 00:44:15.599
said, I am the Lord, the God of Abraham, your

00:44:15.599 --> 00:44:19.599
father, and the God of Isaac. The land on which

00:44:19.599 --> 00:44:22.719
you lie, I will give you and your descendants.

00:44:24.260 --> 00:44:27.059
Also your descendants shall be as the dust of

00:44:27.059 --> 00:44:30.440
the earth. You shall spread abroad to the west

00:44:30.440 --> 00:44:33.699
and to the east, to the north and to the south,

00:44:33.880 --> 00:44:39.869
and you and your seed in you and what? Seat or

00:44:39.869 --> 00:44:46.389
seat? Seat, right? Singular. You, in you and

00:44:46.389 --> 00:44:51.530
in your seat, all the families of the earth shall

00:44:51.530 --> 00:44:55.750
what? Shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you.

00:44:55.929 --> 00:44:59.590
I will keep you wherever you go and will bring

00:44:59.590 --> 00:45:02.849
you back to this land. For I will not leave you

00:45:02.849 --> 00:45:05.530
until I have done what I have spoken to you.

00:45:06.190 --> 00:45:09.329
Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, This

00:45:09.329 --> 00:45:14.269
is his translation of what he saw when he woke

00:45:14.269 --> 00:45:18.070
up from sleep. He said, show me the Lord is in

00:45:18.070 --> 00:45:22.650
this place and I did not know it. Okay? And he

00:45:22.650 --> 00:45:25.550
was afraid and said, how awesome is this place?

00:45:26.309 --> 00:45:30.690
This is none other than what? Than the house

00:45:30.690 --> 00:45:35.210
of God. And this is the gate of what? Gate of

00:45:35.210 --> 00:45:38.849
heaven. The house of God. The gate of heaven.

00:45:40.809 --> 00:45:44.869
Now, it is important to note that God reiterates

00:45:44.869 --> 00:45:48.550
in verse 13 and 14 the promise he made to Abraham

00:45:48.550 --> 00:45:53.349
and Isaac. Okay? This is the same promise God

00:45:53.349 --> 00:45:57.250
made to Abraham and Isaac. If we read verse 13

00:45:57.250 --> 00:45:59.590
and verse 14, we'll see some important component.

00:45:59.630 --> 00:46:02.110
Number one, we'll see the word land. Alright?

00:46:02.489 --> 00:46:06.030
So land is there as part of the conversation.

00:46:06.570 --> 00:46:10.170
So land is important. We also see the multiplication

00:46:10.170 --> 00:46:14.710
of descendants as the dust of the earth. All

00:46:14.710 --> 00:46:19.050
right? As the dust of the earth. I will see this

00:46:19.050 --> 00:46:22.829
sentence that through his seat, all the families

00:46:22.829 --> 00:46:26.449
of the earth will be blessed. By the seat of

00:46:26.449 --> 00:46:32.170
Jacob, the whole families of the earth, the people

00:46:32.170 --> 00:46:36.610
of the earth will be blessed. In verse 17, Jacob

00:46:36.610 --> 00:46:40.710
explains what he saw as the house of God. The

00:46:40.710 --> 00:46:44.730
house of God. The word house is translated from

00:46:44.730 --> 00:46:50.449
the Hebrew word bayit. Okay? B -A -Y -I -T. It's

00:46:50.449 --> 00:46:55.190
referred to a household or a family. So, metaphorically,

00:46:55.269 --> 00:46:58.809
bayit is referring to a household. For example,

00:46:58.809 --> 00:47:03.110
I said I'm going to Kostin's house. Pastor Kostin's

00:47:03.110 --> 00:47:05.769
house. What am I referring? I'm going to visit

00:47:05.769 --> 00:47:10.190
his family, right? I'm going to Pastor Chidi's

00:47:10.190 --> 00:47:13.969
house. It simply means I'm going, if I say I'm

00:47:13.969 --> 00:47:16.389
spending my time in Pastor Chidi's house, it

00:47:16.389 --> 00:47:17.889
means that I'm spending time with his family,

00:47:17.989 --> 00:47:22.889
his household. Are we together? So, it means

00:47:22.889 --> 00:47:27.010
household or a family. That means that what he

00:47:27.010 --> 00:47:30.250
saw was what? The household of God. What he saw

00:47:30.250 --> 00:47:35.210
was a family of God. And then to further, that

00:47:35.210 --> 00:47:38.050
this that he saw wasn't something physical. He

00:47:38.050 --> 00:47:41.269
says the house of God, he says that there's a

00:47:41.269 --> 00:47:43.590
gate of heaven. Heaven simply means spiritual.

00:47:44.050 --> 00:47:46.909
Okay? The house of God is not a physical building

00:47:46.909 --> 00:47:51.190
but something spiritual and eternal. Something

00:47:51.190 --> 00:47:54.829
spiritual and what? And eternal. He called the

00:47:54.829 --> 00:47:57.449
place gate of heaven meaning something spiritual.

00:47:59.010 --> 00:48:01.190
Now let's step back and see God's promise to

00:48:01.190 --> 00:48:04.119
Abraham in Genesis chapter 12. Now we've seen

00:48:04.119 --> 00:48:11.420
Jacob, right? Now let's go back and see God's

00:48:11.420 --> 00:48:17.880
conversation with Abraham. Genesis chapter 12,

00:48:18.079 --> 00:48:22.519
verse 1 to 9, quickly. Yes. Now the Lord had

00:48:22.519 --> 00:48:24.980
said to Abraham, get out of your country from

00:48:24.980 --> 00:48:27.300
your family and from your father's house to a

00:48:27.300 --> 00:48:32.059
land that I will show you. I will make you a

00:48:32.059 --> 00:48:34.960
great nation. I will bless you and make your

00:48:34.960 --> 00:48:39.519
name great and you shall be a blessing. I will

00:48:39.519 --> 00:48:42.760
bless those who bless you and I will curse him

00:48:42.760 --> 00:48:47.440
who curses you and in you all the families of

00:48:47.440 --> 00:48:48.699
the earth shall be blessed. This is similar to

00:48:48.699 --> 00:48:52.619
what we saw with Jacob. Alright? So Abraham departed

00:48:52.619 --> 00:48:57.159
us. We are reading this with the apostles and

00:48:57.159 --> 00:49:02.019
we receive one translation. You know, that for

00:49:02.559 --> 00:49:05.340
Abram to be blessed. God added Ham to his name.

00:49:07.340 --> 00:49:09.639
And that's what made Abram blessed. Is that what

00:49:09.639 --> 00:49:14.420
made Abram blessed? Hallelujah. So Abram departed

00:49:14.420 --> 00:49:17.599
as the Lord had spoken to him and the Lord went

00:49:17.599 --> 00:49:20.679
with him. And Abram was 75 years old when he

00:49:20.679 --> 00:49:24.219
departed from Haran. Then Abram took Seba his

00:49:24.219 --> 00:49:27.480
wife and Lot his brother's son and all their

00:49:27.480 --> 00:49:29.880
possessions that they had gathered and the people

00:49:29.880 --> 00:49:32.960
whom they had acquired in Haran. And they departed

00:49:32.960 --> 00:49:35.719
to go to the land of Canaan. We see land evolving

00:49:35.719 --> 00:49:38.800
here, right? So they came to the land of Canaan.

00:49:39.619 --> 00:49:42.539
Abraham passed through the land to the place

00:49:42.539 --> 00:49:46.000
of Shechem as far as a terebinth, tree of Moriah.

00:49:46.559 --> 00:49:50.519
And the Canaanites were then in the land. Verse

00:49:50.519 --> 00:49:52.739
7. Then the Lord appeared to Abraham and said

00:49:52.739 --> 00:49:56.019
to your descendants. Do we see descendants? I

00:49:56.019 --> 00:49:58.820
will give this land. And there he built an altar

00:49:58.820 --> 00:50:01.639
for the Lord, to the Lord who had appeared to

00:50:01.639 --> 00:50:04.420
him. And he moved from there to the mountain

00:50:04.420 --> 00:50:08.400
east of Bethel and he pitched his tent. Bethel.

00:50:08.860 --> 00:50:13.199
Do we know Bethel? Is it familiar? Where is Bethel?

00:50:14.099 --> 00:50:17.679
Was that the place Jacob had an encounter? All

00:50:17.679 --> 00:50:22.820
right. Please, this thing is not showing. Yeah.

00:50:22.880 --> 00:50:36.400
He went to Bethel and... Either team, please

00:50:36.400 --> 00:50:39.840
find a final solution. This is so we can be fast.

00:50:40.059 --> 00:50:58.480
Okay? Which verse are we? Verse 8. So Abraham

00:50:58.480 --> 00:51:10.829
said to Lot, Please let there be no strife. Yes,

00:51:11.090 --> 00:51:18.269
sorry. I have gone to cartoon. And he moved from

00:51:18.269 --> 00:51:20.630
there to the mountain east of Bethel and pitched

00:51:20.630 --> 00:51:24.269
his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the

00:51:24.269 --> 00:51:26.949
east. There he built an altar to the Lord and

00:51:26.949 --> 00:51:29.369
called on the name of the Lord. So Abraham journeyed

00:51:29.369 --> 00:51:35.519
going on. still towards the south. Hallelujah.

00:51:36.039 --> 00:51:39.960
Now let's jump to chapter 13, verse 14. Chapter

00:51:39.960 --> 00:51:44.519
13, verse 14 to verse 18. And the Lord said to

00:51:44.519 --> 00:51:47.099
Abraham, after the Lord had separated, when the

00:51:47.099 --> 00:51:49.579
Lord, they had some issues and they separated

00:51:49.579 --> 00:51:51.500
with the Lord. And the Lord said to Abraham,

00:51:51.679 --> 00:51:53.699
after the Lord had separated from him, lift up

00:51:53.699 --> 00:52:03.119
your eyes now and look. From the place where

00:52:03.119 --> 00:52:05.800
you are, northward, southward, eastward, and

00:52:05.800 --> 00:52:10.219
westward. For all the land which you see, land,

00:52:10.320 --> 00:52:12.860
right? All the land which you see, I give to

00:52:12.860 --> 00:52:17.239
you and your descendants for when? Forever. I

00:52:17.239 --> 00:52:19.199
think this is the claim that the nation of Israel,

00:52:19.420 --> 00:52:22.880
they are holding and they are fighting. And I

00:52:22.880 --> 00:52:25.940
will make your descendants as the dust away of

00:52:25.940 --> 00:52:29.659
the earth. So that if a man could number the

00:52:29.659 --> 00:52:31.889
dust of the earth, Then your descendants also

00:52:31.889 --> 00:52:36.710
could be numbered. Arise, walk in the land through

00:52:36.710 --> 00:52:39.489
its length and its width, for I give it to you.

00:52:40.710 --> 00:52:43.409
Then Abraham moved his tent and went and dwelt

00:52:43.409 --> 00:52:47.349
by the turbulent trees of Mamre, which are in

00:52:47.349 --> 00:52:50.829
Hebron, and built an altar there to the Lord.

00:52:51.449 --> 00:52:57.690
Amen. Let's jump to chapter 15, verse 4 and 5.

00:52:59.469 --> 00:53:01.530
And behold, the word of the Lord came to him,

00:53:01.590 --> 00:53:05.429
saying, This one shall not be your heir, but

00:53:05.429 --> 00:53:07.909
one who will come from your own body shall be

00:53:07.909 --> 00:53:11.329
your heir. Then he brought him outside and said,

00:53:11.389 --> 00:53:13.510
Look towards the heavens and count the stars,

00:53:13.670 --> 00:53:16.190
if you are able to number them. And he said to

00:53:16.190 --> 00:53:20.710
him, So shall your descendants be. Hallelujah.

00:53:21.329 --> 00:53:25.170
So we can see clearly that all the promises God

00:53:25.170 --> 00:53:28.110
made to Jacob were the same as the one he made

00:53:28.110 --> 00:53:32.469
to Abraham. Land was involved, okay? Multiplication

00:53:32.469 --> 00:53:36.449
of his descendants and his seed. And all the

00:53:36.449 --> 00:53:38.389
families of the earth will be blessed through

00:53:38.389 --> 00:53:42.510
the seed. Hallelujah. Now let's briefly examine

00:53:42.510 --> 00:53:45.269
how the writer of Hebrews interpreted these promises.

00:53:46.070 --> 00:53:49.289
Alright? Let's go to Hebrews. Hebrews chapter

00:53:49.289 --> 00:53:57.929
11, verse 8. Hebrews 11, verse 8. Hebrews chapter

00:53:57.929 --> 00:54:05.690
11 from verse 8 to 16. By faith, Abraham obeyed

00:54:05.690 --> 00:54:09.610
when he was called to go out to the place he

00:54:09.610 --> 00:54:12.789
will receive an inheritance. That land is an

00:54:12.789 --> 00:54:16.929
inheritance, is it? And he went out not knowing

00:54:16.929 --> 00:54:20.510
where he was going. By faith, he dwelt in the

00:54:20.510 --> 00:54:24.519
land of promise. as in a foreign country, dwelling

00:54:24.519 --> 00:54:29.039
in the tents with Isaac and Jacob? Did Abraham

00:54:29.039 --> 00:54:35.179
dwell with Jacob? Amen. By faith he dwelt in

00:54:35.179 --> 00:54:37.619
the land of promise, as in a foreign country,

00:54:37.760 --> 00:54:41.380
dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs

00:54:41.380 --> 00:54:45.059
with him of the same promise. The same promise

00:54:45.059 --> 00:54:49.440
to Abraham is the same promise to Isaac, is the

00:54:49.440 --> 00:54:54.329
same promise to Jacob. and to Moses, and to the

00:54:54.329 --> 00:54:58.969
prophets, to the nation of Israel, and to you,

00:54:59.050 --> 00:55:04.190
and to us in our own generation. So, for he waited

00:55:04.190 --> 00:55:09.230
for the city, verse 10, for the city which has

00:55:09.230 --> 00:55:12.989
foundation, what we saw in land, and now Hebrews

00:55:12.989 --> 00:55:16.210
is saying a city, okay? For he waited for the

00:55:16.210 --> 00:55:19.650
city which has foundations, whose builder and

00:55:19.650 --> 00:55:23.539
maker is who? It's God. So it means that this

00:55:23.539 --> 00:55:26.679
city or this land is not a physical land. It's

00:55:26.679 --> 00:55:30.579
not a physical city. Hallelujah. The foundation

00:55:30.579 --> 00:55:37.199
is what? The foundation, which one has foundations?

00:55:37.340 --> 00:55:40.719
We know what foundation is. Beginning from a

00:55:40.719 --> 00:55:46.599
foundation. By faith, Sarah herself also received

00:55:46.599 --> 00:55:50.019
strength to conceive. This word conceived is

00:55:50.019 --> 00:55:56.300
the word foundation. Conception. Amen? By faith,

00:55:56.340 --> 00:55:58.380
Sarah herself also received strength to conceive

00:55:58.380 --> 00:56:01.900
seed, and she bore a child when she was past

00:56:01.900 --> 00:56:05.099
the age, because she judged him faithful who

00:56:05.099 --> 00:56:08.940
had promised. Therefore, from one man and him,

00:56:09.000 --> 00:56:13.360
as good as death, were born as many as the stars

00:56:13.360 --> 00:56:18.219
of the sky, in multitude, immeasurable, as the

00:56:18.219 --> 00:56:25.159
sun which are by the seashores. Verse 13, these

00:56:25.159 --> 00:56:29.139
all died in faith, not having received the promise,

00:56:29.360 --> 00:56:33.239
but having seen them afar off, were assured of

00:56:33.239 --> 00:56:36.139
them, embraced them and confessed that they were

00:56:36.139 --> 00:56:40.099
strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those

00:56:40.099 --> 00:56:44.039
who say such things declare plainly that they

00:56:44.039 --> 00:56:49.300
seek a homeland. Homeland simply means father's

00:56:49.300 --> 00:56:53.139
land, right? Homeland simply means a father's

00:56:53.139 --> 00:56:58.480
land. A homeland. And truly, if they had called

00:56:58.480 --> 00:57:01.579
into mind that country from which they had come

00:57:01.579 --> 00:57:03.880
out, they would have had the opportunity to return.

00:57:04.079 --> 00:57:10.440
But now, hallelujah, they desire a what? A better.

00:57:11.079 --> 00:57:15.480
What does better mean? Heavily, permanent, better.

00:57:15.760 --> 00:57:21.159
The opposite of better here is not worse. All

00:57:21.159 --> 00:57:27.619
right? Better means a permanent one. They desire

00:57:27.619 --> 00:57:33.159
a permanent, that is, a heavenly one. Okay? Therefore,

00:57:33.199 --> 00:57:36.239
God is not ashamed to be called their what? Their

00:57:36.239 --> 00:57:40.659
God. For he has prepared a city. He prepared

00:57:40.659 --> 00:57:44.139
a city for them. So, is this city a physical

00:57:44.139 --> 00:57:49.119
city or a spiritual city? So what is city? City

00:57:49.119 --> 00:57:53.940
is translated from the Greek word polis. P -O

00:57:53.940 --> 00:57:59.840
-L -I -S. Polis. Alright? From whence we have

00:57:59.840 --> 00:58:04.159
politics. Affairs of the city. Politics. Political.

00:58:05.760 --> 00:58:09.519
Cosmopolitan of the city. Cosmopolitan. Or which

00:58:09.519 --> 00:58:13.239
other word again? Metropolis. Yes. What other

00:58:13.239 --> 00:58:18.760
word again? All the wonder comes with this. So,

00:58:18.880 --> 00:58:24.699
city is from the word polis. And it refers to

00:58:24.699 --> 00:58:29.099
people. Alright? We can conclude that what they

00:58:29.099 --> 00:58:32.079
were looking for was a spiritual people, a spiritual

00:58:32.079 --> 00:58:36.980
family. This land is also called, this land,

00:58:37.159 --> 00:58:39.920
we've seen that the land, number one, we've seen

00:58:39.920 --> 00:58:42.760
that it's a household, isn't it? Look up please.

00:58:43.309 --> 00:58:45.389
We've seen that the promise is a household, right?

00:58:46.230 --> 00:58:53.070
It's also a land, okay? It is also a city, all

00:58:53.070 --> 00:58:56.650
right? Now we'll see that this same concept is

00:58:56.650 --> 00:58:58.949
what it refers to the church. The land is also

00:58:58.949 --> 00:59:01.429
called the church of Jesus Christ. Hebrews chapter

00:59:01.429 --> 00:59:09.769
12, verse 22. Hebrews chapter 12, verse 22. Hebrews

00:59:09.769 --> 00:59:18.400
12, 22 to 24. But you have come to Mount Zion

00:59:18.400 --> 00:59:22.340
and to the city. City simply means what? People,

00:59:22.440 --> 00:59:28.739
right? Family, household, land. What else? Did

00:59:28.739 --> 00:59:30.800
you see from scriptures that we've seen? People,

00:59:30.960 --> 00:59:33.559
right? We have come to a people, we have come

00:59:33.559 --> 00:59:39.500
to a city of the living God. That means that

00:59:39.500 --> 00:59:42.559
these people are of the living God. This household

00:59:42.559 --> 00:59:47.099
is what? It's of the living God. The heavenly

00:59:47.099 --> 00:59:50.440
Jerusalem, the spiritual Jerusalem, not the one

00:59:50.440 --> 00:59:54.920
in the Middle East, a spiritual one. Okay? To

00:59:54.920 --> 01:00:00.860
an immeasurable company of angels. Let's continue

01:00:00.860 --> 01:00:05.320
verse 23. To the general assemblies, assembly

01:00:05.320 --> 01:00:09.199
of people, right? Not the one in New York. General

01:00:09.199 --> 01:00:14.420
assembly of people. Which is what? The church

01:00:14.420 --> 01:00:19.150
of what? the firstborn who are registered not

01:00:19.150 --> 01:00:24.389
in CAC, Nigeria, but were registered in heaven.

01:00:25.610 --> 01:00:31.210
To God, the judge of all, to the spirit of a

01:00:31.210 --> 01:00:35.889
just, made perfect. 24. To Jesus, the mediator

01:00:35.889 --> 01:00:40.309
of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling

01:00:40.309 --> 01:00:43.030
that speaks better things than that of Abel.

01:00:43.789 --> 01:00:47.710
Hallelujah. So we've moved from seeing it as

01:00:47.710 --> 01:00:50.489
what? We've introduced another name for it. It's

01:00:50.489 --> 01:00:53.690
called what? A church. So what did Abraham see?

01:00:54.610 --> 01:00:57.969
What was promised to Abraham? A people, right?

01:00:58.429 --> 01:01:00.889
And we can trace this down and we'll see the

01:01:00.889 --> 01:01:02.809
evolution to the concept we call, what we call

01:01:02.809 --> 01:01:04.809
a church. And a church is what? Is it this building?

01:01:05.530 --> 01:01:08.809
It's what? It's a people. So are you part of

01:01:08.809 --> 01:01:11.210
the promise that God promised Abraham? Are you

01:01:11.210 --> 01:01:15.159
in the promise of Abraham? Hallelujah. So having

01:01:15.159 --> 01:01:19.820
seen what God has started, okay, please bear

01:01:19.820 --> 01:01:22.460
me to conclude. Having seen what God has started

01:01:22.460 --> 01:01:24.800
from the foundation of the world, what did he

01:01:24.800 --> 01:01:29.500
start? A building, a project, right? From the

01:01:29.500 --> 01:01:31.739
foundation of the world, building a house, which

01:01:31.739 --> 01:01:34.900
is a family of God, also referred to as a land.

01:01:35.340 --> 01:01:37.639
We now have another term to describe it, the

01:01:37.639 --> 01:01:41.099
church of Jesus Christ. Now we can also refer

01:01:41.099 --> 01:01:46.130
to this house. Is that the house of David? Is

01:01:46.130 --> 01:01:50.989
that the house of David? Amen? Answer me. Yes?

01:01:51.389 --> 01:01:53.929
Okay. Now let's see God's promise. Let's see

01:01:53.929 --> 01:01:57.849
how it was promised to David. 2 Samuel, 2 Samuel

01:01:57.849 --> 01:02:04.889
7 verse 11. 2 Samuel 7 verse 11 to 13. You see

01:02:04.889 --> 01:02:07.050
that this house was called the house of David.

01:02:07.409 --> 01:02:13.000
The household of David. Yes. Since the time that

01:02:13.000 --> 01:02:15.639
I commanded Judas to be over my people, Israel,

01:02:15.860 --> 01:02:18.559
I have caused you to rest from all your enemies.

01:02:18.639 --> 01:02:20.679
And also the Lord tells you that he will make

01:02:20.679 --> 01:02:30.960
you a what? He will make you a house. When your

01:02:30.960 --> 01:02:34.260
days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers,

01:02:34.460 --> 01:02:37.719
I will set up your seat. Seat also, you see.

01:02:38.400 --> 01:02:41.989
I will set up your seat. After you. Who is this

01:02:41.989 --> 01:02:46.309
seed? The seed was promised to Abraham. It was

01:02:46.309 --> 01:02:49.010
promised to Jacob. And now we see it to David.

01:02:49.190 --> 01:02:53.750
Who is this seed? The seed is Christ. Right?

01:02:54.130 --> 01:02:59.909
Now, the seed after you is not Solomon. Forget

01:02:59.909 --> 01:03:02.469
about Solomon. Look at Christ. Your seed after

01:03:02.469 --> 01:03:05.190
you, who will come from your body and establish

01:03:05.190 --> 01:03:10.119
his kingdom. Another word for that church. His

01:03:10.119 --> 01:03:14.460
what? His kingdom. Alright? He shall build a

01:03:14.460 --> 01:03:18.659
house for my name and I will establish the throne

01:03:18.659 --> 01:03:23.000
of his kingdom. When? You know, the promise of

01:03:23.000 --> 01:03:24.840
the house of David is the house of David will

01:03:24.840 --> 01:03:28.159
be forever. Referring to the kingdom which will

01:03:28.159 --> 01:03:33.760
live forever. Are we together? So the house in

01:03:33.760 --> 01:03:36.559
verse 11 is also referred to as a household.

01:03:36.940 --> 01:03:39.530
Okay? He's referring to a household of people.

01:03:39.949 --> 01:03:46.190
God further calls it a kingdom in verse 12. And

01:03:46.190 --> 01:03:52.710
13. The house is also the kingdom. So, what was

01:03:52.710 --> 01:04:00.150
promised to Abraham? A kingdom. A people. A house.

01:04:00.150 --> 01:04:08.110
A household. A family. Amen? So Isaiah will let

01:04:08.110 --> 01:04:10.869
us prophesy about the keys of the house of David.

01:04:11.349 --> 01:04:14.130
Amen? So what we say the keys of the house of

01:04:14.130 --> 01:04:17.070
David, you know where we are headed to us? We

01:04:17.070 --> 01:04:21.269
are headed to us Matthew 16 verse 19. Alright?

01:04:22.969 --> 01:04:27.269
The keys of the house of David. Isaiah 22 verse

01:04:27.269 --> 01:04:36.719
22 to 23. Isaiah 22 verse 22 to 23. And then

01:04:36.719 --> 01:04:41.579
we ran up. The key of the house of David. What

01:04:41.579 --> 01:04:44.300
is the house of David? Is it the kingdom of David?

01:04:45.860 --> 01:04:49.559
Is it referring to the people of David? I will

01:04:49.559 --> 01:04:54.199
lay on his shoulders. On whose shoulders? On

01:04:54.199 --> 01:04:56.920
Jesus, of course, the Christ. So he shall open

01:04:56.920 --> 01:05:01.860
and no one shall shut. I shall shut and no one

01:05:01.860 --> 01:05:05.079
shall open. Verse 23. I will fasten him as a

01:05:05.079 --> 01:05:08.460
peg in a secure place and he will become a glorious

01:05:08.460 --> 01:05:14.320
throne to his father's house. Hallelujah. Now

01:05:14.320 --> 01:05:21.719
Jesus Christ is called a son of David. Matthew

01:05:21.719 --> 01:05:25.500
chapter 1 verse 1. He's called a seed of Jacob.

01:05:28.119 --> 01:05:37.949
Isaac and Abraham. Matthew 1 verse 1. The book

01:05:37.949 --> 01:05:42.909
of the genealogy of Jesus Christ. The what? The

01:05:42.909 --> 01:05:49.329
son of David and the son of Abraham. So, here

01:05:49.329 --> 01:05:51.510
you have access to the keys of the house of David.

01:05:53.010 --> 01:05:59.530
Alright? We see that Jesus, the son of David,

01:05:59.590 --> 01:06:03.150
possesses the key to the house of David. The

01:06:03.150 --> 01:06:05.190
house of David is also referred to as the kingdom

01:06:05.190 --> 01:06:09.590
of David. Now with this key of the house with

01:06:09.590 --> 01:06:13.550
which is called the kingdom, he shall open and

01:06:13.550 --> 01:06:17.090
no one shall shut. He shall shut and no one shall

01:06:17.090 --> 01:06:20.610
open. And we see the same key. We see the same

01:06:20.610 --> 01:06:24.590
key that Jesus sees in Matthew. Final scripture.

01:06:24.750 --> 01:06:28.170
Final, final, final for today. Final for today.

01:06:28.329 --> 01:06:34.650
Matthew 16, verse 19. This same key. And I will

01:06:34.650 --> 01:06:39.389
give you what? The keys of what? Of the kingdom

01:06:39.389 --> 01:06:41.909
of heaven. Now, is this kingdom the kingdom of

01:06:41.909 --> 01:06:45.230
David? Is this the kingdom that was promised

01:06:45.230 --> 01:06:49.010
to Abraham? Is this the people of God? Is this

01:06:49.010 --> 01:06:52.090
the family of God? Is this the, what is the word?

01:06:54.090 --> 01:06:57.690
The household of God? I will give you the keys

01:06:57.690 --> 01:07:01.210
of the kingdom of heaven. And whatever you bind,

01:07:01.329 --> 01:07:03.710
does it look familiar to whatever you open and

01:07:03.710 --> 01:07:10.539
close and shut? And whatever you bind on earth

01:07:10.539 --> 01:07:14.380
will be bound in heaven. Meaning that it is a

01:07:14.380 --> 01:07:17.039
spiritual conversation, right? And whatever you

01:07:17.039 --> 01:07:20.900
lose on earth will be lost in heaven. Hallelujah.

01:07:21.579 --> 01:07:24.480
So what we're able to establish today is that

01:07:24.480 --> 01:07:27.500
when we talk about kingdom, we're referring to

01:07:27.500 --> 01:07:30.099
what? What God started from the beginning. So

01:07:30.099 --> 01:07:32.699
the vision of God, the plan of God from the beginning

01:07:32.699 --> 01:07:35.780
is a family. It's a people. It's a household.

01:07:38.420 --> 01:07:42.539
Hallelujah. And then Jesus said, I give you,

01:07:42.599 --> 01:07:45.519
he's referring to Peter, specifically here, I

01:07:45.519 --> 01:07:48.440
give you the keys of the kingdom. So the question

01:07:48.440 --> 01:07:51.139
is, what is the keys of the kingdom? Now, do

01:07:51.139 --> 01:07:54.099
you know what the kingdom is? Without reasonable

01:07:54.099 --> 01:08:00.119
doubt. Okay? We know what this kingdom is. Are

01:08:00.119 --> 01:08:02.989
we together? So next time, hopefully. We'll try

01:08:02.989 --> 01:08:07.030
to understand what is this key? Is it master

01:08:07.030 --> 01:08:12.750
key? Maybe we'll come with key on Sunday and

01:08:12.750 --> 01:08:14.389
we'll show, we'll duplicate the key and give

01:08:14.389 --> 01:08:19.329
everybody. Hallelujah. Let's rise on our feet.

01:08:21.390 --> 01:08:24.489
Let's rise on our feet. And thank God that we

01:08:24.489 --> 01:08:30.789
are included in this family of God. Let's appreciate

01:08:30.789 --> 01:08:32.550
God that we are part of this project that God

01:08:32.550 --> 01:08:36.770
started from the foundation of the world. That

01:08:36.770 --> 01:08:41.670
indeed, God's plan is eternal. He thought of

01:08:41.670 --> 01:08:46.710
us right from the foundation of the world. He

01:08:46.710 --> 01:08:50.630
thought about you. He had you in mind. What was

01:08:50.630 --> 01:08:52.869
thinking of you? He was thinking of me. He was

01:08:52.869 --> 01:08:56.050
thinking of all of us. He would tell Abraham

01:08:56.050 --> 01:08:59.539
as the dust of the earth. so shall your descendants

01:08:59.539 --> 01:09:07.840
be. And God is the father of the house. He is

01:09:07.840 --> 01:09:12.220
the king of this kingdom. He is the shepherd

01:09:12.220 --> 01:09:17.539
of this family. What a glorious opportunity to

01:09:17.539 --> 01:09:23.000
be part of God's family. What a glorious privilege

01:09:23.000 --> 01:09:27.100
to be part of God's church. What a glorious opportunity

01:09:27.100 --> 01:09:31.260
to be part of God's plan. An eternal plan. A

01:09:31.260 --> 01:09:35.859
plan that will never end. What a consolation

01:09:35.859 --> 01:09:38.340
to be part of God's family. That God was thinking

01:09:38.340 --> 01:09:43.699
of you, specifically about you. Not only that,

01:09:43.739 --> 01:09:47.039
he has given us, now to Peter and to us, the

01:09:47.039 --> 01:09:50.819
keys. And we say keys, refer to access into the

01:09:50.819 --> 01:09:55.699
kingdom. We have access into the kingdom. We

01:09:55.699 --> 01:09:59.319
can bring men into the kingdom because we have

01:09:59.319 --> 01:10:03.260
access to the kingdom. Let's pray and say, Father,

01:10:03.279 --> 01:10:05.180
in this season, let me have more understanding

01:10:05.180 --> 01:10:09.140
of all that you have for me. We prayed from Ephesians

01:10:09.140 --> 01:10:13.039
1 verse 15 previously. We may comprehend what

01:10:13.039 --> 01:10:16.039
we have in Christ. Of all we have understanding

01:10:16.039 --> 01:10:17.939
of what we have in Christ, we can walk in it.

01:10:19.619 --> 01:10:21.819
That's how we understand, we begin to manifest

01:10:21.819 --> 01:10:25.880
the kingdom. Okay? We see the kingdom in manifestation.

01:10:26.199 --> 01:10:30.079
We see the kingdom of God in display. My life

01:10:30.079 --> 01:10:33.260
becomes an instrument by which the family of

01:10:33.260 --> 01:10:36.899
God is displayed. The works of God is displayed.

01:10:37.239 --> 01:10:39.520
The plan and the purpose of God is displayed.

01:10:42.079 --> 01:10:45.920
What God has prepared is displayed for His glory

01:10:45.920 --> 01:10:51.600
and for His honor. We appreciate you being here

01:10:51.600 --> 01:10:54.680
today. We hope you carry this word with you throughout

01:10:54.680 --> 01:10:57.579
your week. Don't forget to check the show notes

01:10:57.579 --> 01:11:00.319
for additional insights. Stay connected with

01:11:00.319 --> 01:11:03.020
us through our website or follow us on social

01:11:03.020 --> 01:11:06.680
media. If you are encouraged, share this message

01:11:06.680 --> 01:11:09.680
with someone you care about. Until next time,

01:11:09.720 --> 01:11:10.699
stay blessed.
